What happens to iodine when it enters the environment?
The primary source of nonradioactive iodine is the ocean. It enters the air from sea spray or as iodine gas. Once in the air, iodine can combine with water or with particles in air and can enter the soil and surface water, or land on vegetation when these particles fall to the ground or when it rains. Iodine can remain in soil for a long time. It can also be taken up by some plants that grow in the soil, but plants are considered a poor source of dietary iodine. Small amounts of radioactive iodine are produced from the operation of nuclear power plants, which can release minor amounts to air and water. Large amounts have been released during rare power plant accidents. Iodine is also released from atomic bomb explosions. Very large amounts are made in nuclear power plants for medical use. Once given to the patient, most iodine decays in the body. The rest is exhaled or excreted in the urine and decays naturally in the environment.
The primary source of non-radioactive iodine is the ocean. It enters the air from sea spray or as iodine gas. Once in the air, iodine can combine with water or with particles in air and can enter the soil and surface water, or land on vegetation when these particles fall to the ground or when it rains. Iodine can remain in soil for a long time. It can also be taken up by some plants that grow in the soil but plants are considered a poor source of dietary iodine. Radioactive iodine forms naturally from chemical reactions high in the atmosphere. Small amounts of radioactive iodine can enter the air from nuclear power plants. Larger amounts of radioactive iodine have been released to the air from accidents at nuclear power plants and from explosions of nuclear bombs.
