The illusion of environmental iodine deficiency

Stewart, A. G., Carter, J., Parker, A. and Alloway, B. J. (2003) The illusion of environmental iodine deficiency. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 25 (1). pp. 165-170. ISSN 0269-4042 doi: 10.1023/A:1021281822514

Abstract/Summary

The distribution of endemic goitre in England and Wales was compared with the distribution of environmental iodine (atmospheric deposition, soil, surface water). Despite a very clear goitre belt through the west of England and Wales there was no patterning in the environmental iodine distribution. A clear seasonal variation in depositional iodine exists, with an unusually high concentration of iodine in March 1997. The temporal variation in iodine concentration is determined at the monthly and not the annual level. The presence of endemic goitre is no indicator of how iodine is distributed in the environment or vice versa!