Iodine Enrichment and Climate Change - How Iodine Shaped our World

Congratulations to emeritus associate professor Dr Peter Smyth on his recently published article ‘Iodine Enrichment and Climate Change - How Iodine Shaped our World’, in Annals of Environmental Science and Toxicology.

Abstract

Data arising from the early history of the Earth demonstrates how iodine contributed to the development of life and how iodine deficiency may have led to the disappearance of our Neanderthal predecessors. In modern times, problems such as the incidence of endemic cretinism (severe hypothyroidism) and goitre (thyroid enlargement) associated with iodine deficiency were recognised and continue to be addressed with varying success by dietary iodine supplementation. Volatile iodine compounds released from the marine environment make an important contribution to diminishing pollutant ozone, with increases in global volatile iodine influencing climate change. The prospect that current pollutants induced global warming may significantly extend the present interglacial period suggests that increased global iodine may persist. The consequences for thyroidal health and human development of a new iodine-replete earth are unknown. It appears that iodine, in addition to helping shape our world, continues to have the potential to significantly influence all our futures.

Smyth PP, O'Dowd CD. Climate changes affecting global iodine status. Eur Thyroid J. 2024 Apr 11;13(2):e230200. doi: 10.1530/ETJ-23-0200. PMID: 38471306; PMCID: PMC11046319.