Abstract:
The iodine status of staff and pupils of Hillcrest Schools, undergraduates of
UCC, 2016/2017 academic year and a household in Agona Swedru were
determined using Titration Method, Sandell-Kolthoff Method and a Novel
Method. Discriminant analysis results showed that the Novel Method correctly
classified 77.4% of the original cases. The novel also had a percentage
recovery of125% and a Horwitz Ratio of 0.12. Based on these, the study
populations with the exception of household, were found to be iodine
sufficient by the Novel Method.The iodine level in the Buffalo was 10 ppm;
Ritebrand was non-detect. These levels were below the Ghana Standard
Authority‟s limit of 25-50 ppm. The stability of the iodine in the salt was
found to be influenced by magnesium content, moisture content and heat. Pb
levels found in Annapurna, U2 and Ante Dede were respectively 51, 13.31 and
3.4 ppm. These levels were above the Codex limit of 2 ppm. The
concentration of Fe in Mr. Chef, U2, Lele and Ante Dede were respectively
0.95, 0.49, 0.58 and 0.25 ppm. However, the concentrations of Zn were nondetect in all the samples. The Cd levels in Concord, Salnova and Cerebos
iodised salt with 0.20, 0.05, and 0.01 ppm respectively, below the Codex limit
of 0.5 ppm. Al levels were non-detect for all the salt samples. Microbial
studies revealed Annapurna Salt contained microbes. Consumption of
goitrogens, preference for uniodised salts, ignorance about the mandatory salt
iodisation law, and iodine status test were behavioural patterns found to have
the potential of causing iodine deficiency in the study populations
