Award

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Iodine deficiency disorder (IDD) has been identified by the World Health Organization as a serious global health problem affecting 740 million people in 130 countries. Iodine deficiency is the most common cause of preventable brain damage, with nearly 50 million people suffering some degree of IDD-related brain damage. IDD is preventable and treatable by iodization of table salt. Identification of individuals suffering from IDD and populations at risk requires the development of an instrument capable of measuring iodide in urine and both iodide and iodate in table salt. We propose to develop a small, lightweight, inexpensive instrument, the Rapid Iodine Analyzer (RIA), that will allow measurements of iodine present as either iodide or iodate. The instrument will be based on a novel and proprietary detection method successfully demonstrated in our Phase I grant. It will be highly automated and will require very little sample preparation. The portable instrument is expected to have a limit of detection of lt 1 ppb and to be free of interferences. Thus, the sensitivity will be adequate to diagnose patients as having moderate (20-49 ppb) or severe iodine deficiency (lt 20 ppb), as well as those having normal (100- 199 ppb) or excess iodine (gt300 ppb) in their urine. Because of its low cost (lt 2,000 retail), portability (lt 5 lb), and low power requirements (lt 6 watts), the RIA will be highly useful for assessing iodine deficiency in populations in remote locations around the globe and for testing for the presence of iodine additives in salts dispensed in those regions. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: A highly sensitive (lt 1 ppb), portable instrument will be developed for the measurement of iodide and iodate in urine and table salt. The Rapid Iodine Analyzer will be an important new tool for use in addressing the problem of iodine deficiency disorders currently affecting 740 million people in 130 countries.