Temporal and spatial variation characteristics of environmental iodine elements in the Gansu region, China.
- 1Department of Endemic Disease Prevention and Control, Gansu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Lanzhou, China.
- 2School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
Abstract
Objective
This study investigates the spatiotemporal variation of iodine concentrations in drinking water and soil across Gansu Province, aiming to generate observational evidence for adjusting iodine deficiency disorder (IDD) prevention strategies, given inherent methodological limitations of historical unpaired cross-sectional surveys.Methods
We collected data on water iodine from four surveys (1972, 1985, 2014, and 2017) and soil iodine from two surveys (1985 and 2014) in Gansu Province, along with related information. These data were analyzed to examine trends in iodine levels across different time periods, watersheds, and geomorphological types.Results
Water iodine concentrations consistently followed the order: Yellow River > Inland River > Yangtze River at the watershed level, and Longdong > Longzhong > Hexi > Longnan at the regional level, with consistent distribution patterns across both watersheds and regions.Water iodine concentrations exhibited temporal fluctuations across survey rounds, with relatively lower iodine medians observed in recent surveys; these apparent shifts may partly stem from sampling heterogeneity rather than genuine environmental change. However, due to the unpaired sampling design and methodological variability across surveys, these findings should be interpreted as observational patterns rather than definitive causal trends.Soil iodine content in Hexi and Longnan decreased significantly, and soil iodine content in other regions did not change significantly.Conclusions
Persistent environmental iodine deficiency was observed across all surveys in Gansu's hydrological systems, with temporal fluctuations that suggest potential changes warranting further investigation.The pronounced reduction of topsoil iodine observed in arid inland basins may indicate possible shifts in biogeochemical cycling, although analytical or sampling artifacts cannot be fully excluded. Critical knowledge gaps persist regarding atmospheric iodine fluxes, necessitating integrated air-water-soil monitoring systems to elucidate complete iodine ecodynamics. Our observational findings underline that future paired-site monitoring, including atmospheric iodine measurements, is required to fully disentangle regional environmental iodine cycling.
Related
- Inequality embodied: A systematic review of the spatial and temporal variation of cortical bone health measures and socioeconomic status
- Spatial-temporal distribution characteristics of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in 31 provinces and municipalities of P.R. China and multi-factorial prediction of incidence
- Temporal elements of speech in mania.
- COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis: clinical characteristics, species distribution, environmental fungal contamination, and antifungal susceptibility
- Associations Between Upright Cardiovascular-Autonomic Characteristics, Temporal Gait Measures, and Mediolateral Plantar Center-of-Force Measures in Adults with Developmental Disabilities: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study
BibTeX
@article{cao2026temporal,
title = {{Temporal and spatial variation characteristics of environmental iodine elements in the Gansu region, China.}},
author = {Yongqin Cao and Yating Jin and Wei Sun and Yugui Dou and Yanling Wang and Ye Ruan},
journal = {Frontiers in nutrition},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fnut.2026.1915926},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42923181},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Temporal and spatial variation characteristics of environmental iodine elements in the Gansu region, China.
AU - Yongqin Cao
AU - Yating Jin
AU - Wei Sun
AU - Yugui Dou
AU - Yanling Wang
AU - Ye Ruan
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/08
JO - Frontiers in nutrition
DO - 10.3389/fnut.2026.1915926
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42923181
AB - Objective This study investigates the spatiotemporal variation of iodine concentrations in drinking water and soil across Gansu Province, aiming to generate observational evidence for adjusting iodine deficiency disorder (IDD) prevention strategies, given inherent methodological limitations of historical unpaired cross-sectional surveys.Methods We collected data on water iodine from four surveys (1972, 1985, 2014, and 2017) and soil iodine from two surveys (1985 and 2014) in Gansu Province, along with related information. These data were analyzed to examine trends in iodine levels across different time periods, watersheds, and geomorphological types.Results Water iodine concentrations consistently followed the order: Yellow River > Inland River > Yangtze River at the watershed level, and Longdong > Longzhong > Hexi > Longnan at the regional level, with consistent distribution patterns across both watersheds and regions.Water iodine concentrations exhibited temporal fluctuations across survey rounds, with relatively lower iodine medians observed in recent surveys; these apparent shifts may partly stem from sampling heterogeneity rather than genuine environmental change. However, due to the unpaired sampling design and methodological variability across surveys, these findings should be interpreted as observational patterns rather than definitive causal trends.Soil iodine content in Hexi and Longnan decreased significantly, and soil iodine content in other regions did not change significantly.Conclusions Persistent environmental iodine deficiency was observed across all surveys in Gansu's hydrological systems, with temporal fluctuations that suggest potential changes warranting further investigation.The pronounced reduction of topsoil iodine observed in arid inland basins may indicate possible shifts in biogeochemical cycling, although analytical or sampling artifacts cannot be fully excluded. Critical knowledge gaps persist regarding atmospheric iodine fluxes, necessitating integrated air-water-soil monitoring systems to elucidate complete iodine ecodynamics. Our observational findings underline that future paired-site monitoring, including atmospheric iodine measurements, is required to fully disentangle regional environmental iodine cycling.
SN - 2296-861X
ER -