UCD School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Ryan Institute's Centre for Climate & Air Pollution Studies, School of Physics, University of Galway, Ireland.
Eur Thyroid J. 2024 Apr 11;13(2). doi: 10.1530/ETJ-23-0200. Print 2024 Apr 1.
Global warming is now universally acknowledged as being responsible for dramatic climate changes with rising sea levels, unprecedented temperatures, resulting fires and threatened widespread species loss. While these effects are extremely damaging, threatening the future of life on our planet, one unexpected and paradoxically beneficial consequence could be a significant contribution to global iodine supply. Climate change and associated global warming are not the primary causes of increased iodine supply, which results from the reaction of ozone (O3) arising from both natural and anthropogenic pollution sources with iodide (I-) present in the oceans and in seaweeds (macro- and microalgae) in coastal waters, producing gaseous iodine (I2). The reaction serves as negative feedback, serving a dual purpose, both diminishing ozone pollution in the lower atmosphere and thereby increasing I2. The potential of this I2 to significantly contribute to human iodine intake is examined in the context of I2 released in a seaweed-abundant coastal area. The bioavailability of the generated I2 offers a long-term possibility of increasing global iodine status and thereby promoting thyroidal health. It is hoped that highlighting possible changes in iodine bioavailability might encourage the health community to address this issue.
全球变暖现在被普遍认为是海平面上升、前所未有的温度、由此引发的火灾和广泛的物种灭绝等剧烈气候变化的罪魁祸首。虽然这些影响极具破坏性，威胁着我们星球上生命的未来，但一个意想不到的、具有讽刺意味的好处可能是对全球碘供应的重大贡献。气候变化和相关的全球变暖并不是碘供应增加的主要原因，碘供应的增加是由于臭氧 (O3) 与海洋和沿海水域中的海藻（大型和微藻类）中的碘化物 (I-) 发生反应而产生的，产生气态碘 (I2)。该反应起到负反馈作用，具有双重目的，既减少了低层大气中的臭氧污染，又增加了 I2。在富含海藻的沿海地区释放 I2 的背景下，研究了这种 I2 对人类碘摄入量的重大贡献潜力。生成的 I2 的生物利用度提供了增加全球碘状况的长期可能性，从而促进甲状腺健康。希望强调碘生物利用度的可能变化能鼓励健康界解决这个问题。
