A review of recent advances in health risks and detection of 129I and 131I in environmental and biological samples

Iodine radionuclides are released into the environment during an accident at a nuclear power plant or production facility. Iodine radionuclides exhibit high mobility in the environment due to their physicochemical properties such as volatility, good solubility, and chemical stability.¹²⁹I and ¹³¹I are two of the most important nuclides, which can pose serious health risks to the environment and the human body. Researchers worldwide have conducted numerous detections of ¹²⁹I and ¹³¹I in the environment and organisms for nearly two decades. Herein, we overviewed the latest advances in health risks and detection methods of ¹²⁹I and ¹³¹I in environmental and biological samples, including sample pretreatment, purification, and detection methods. The advantages and disadvantages of several pretreatment and detection methods are comprehensively compared, and the future development directions of ¹²⁹I and ¹³¹I detection technologies are prospected, including the development of simpler and more efficient sample processing methods, improvement of detection sensitivity and accuracy, and exploration of emerging detection technologies. Importantly, we hope to provide a reference for detecting ¹²⁹I and ¹³¹I.