Tincture of iodine recommended source of solely-nutritional iodine. Nutritional iodine is better supplied in the form of the less toxic iodide (see SSKI) or iodate salts, which the body can easily convert to thyroid hormone. Nevertheless, the iodide in tincture of iodine used as a water disinfectant does supply more than adequate nutritional iodine, perhaps 30 or more times the recommended daily allowance per liter or quart. Application of tincture or Lugol's to the skin also results in absorption and bioavailability of some moderate fraction of the iodine. Tincture of iodine Tincture of iodine, iodine tincture, or weak iodine solution is an antiseptic.
Isotopes of iodine for the so-called iodine pit phenomenon. In addition to commercial production, I (half-life 8 days) is one of the common radioactive fission-products of nuclear fission, and is thus produced inadvertently in very large amounts inside nuclear reactors. Due to its volatility, short half-life, and high abundance in fission products, I, (along with the short-lived iodine isotope I from the longer-lived Te with a half-life of 3 days) is responsible for the largest part of radioactive contamination during the first week after accidental environmental contamination from the radioactive waste from a nuclear power plant. Radioisotopes of iodine are called radioactive iodine