Iodometric Titration and Spectrophotometric Method for the Determination of Iodine in Salt Samples Commercially Available in Bahir Dar, North Western Ethiopia

Abstract

Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) are major public health problems in many parts of the world and universal salt iodization (USI) is the best strategy to prevent and control IDD in given Community. The determinations of iodine content of the salt samples were based on standard literature procedures. The iodine content of salt samples commercially available in the super markets of Bahir Dar City measured with SP65 Uv-Vis Spectrophotometric method were found to be in the ranges of 5.634±0.312 to 60.098±0.132 ppm for fine salt and 5.288±0.086 to 8.321±0.756 ppm for coarse salt and with Iodometric titration ranging from ND (not detected) to 60.477±2.122 ppm in fine salt and none in coarse salt. Of all the salt samples collected from Bahir Dar, 61.54 % (n = 8) were insufficiently iodated; 23.08 % (n = 3) were adequately iodated and 15.38 % (n = 2) were over-iodated. The quality of iodized salt in Bahir Dar city is not uniform and the universal salt iodization program in Ethiopia needs strict quality assurance measures at the stages of production, storage, import and retail levels for a successful and sustainable prevention of IDD.

Keywords: iodine; iodized salt; Iodometric titration; Uv-Vis Spectrophotometry