Rapid microwave digestion and microplate reading format method for urinary iodine determination

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Clinical Chemistry

Background:

• Conventional urinary iodine determination methods involve high temperatures and long heating times, posing drawbacks.
• Interfering substances in urine samples complicate accurate iodine level measurement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of microwave digestion for urine sample preparation.
• To assess microwave digestion's potential to shorten analysis time and enhance safety.

Main Methods:

• Urine samples were digested using both conventional electrical heating and microwave digestion techniques.
• Urinary iodine was quantified via a colorimetric reaction (Sandell-Kolthoff reaction).
• A microplate ELISA reader was employed to improve test speed and precision.

Main Results:

• Microwave digestion achieved complete urine sample digestion in just 10 minutes.
• The microwave method demonstrated acceptable precision and recovery rates.
• Results from microwave and conventional methods showed good correlation for iodine content.

Conclusions:

• Microwave digestion offers a safer, easier, and quicker alternative for preparing urine samples.
• This method effectively eliminates interfering substances and releases iodine for analysis.
• Microwave digestion is a viable replacement for conventional electrical heat digestion methods.