Preliminary studies on the iodine content of some marine algae from coastal areas of Jaffna Peninsula

The iodine content of twenty seven species of marine algae collected from different coastal regions of the Jaffna Peninsula was determined. Of the species analysed, Gracilaria opuntia (1277 ppm), Gracilaria crassa (889 ppm) and Turbinaria ornata (810 ppm) have relatively high iodine contents. The iodine content of Gracilaria opuntia is comparable with the amount of iodine present in caliche deposits (1500 ppm) in northern Chile which is the principal source of iodine.