Low Iodine Content Research Articles

Application of dual-source computed tomography in the diagnosis of thyroid cancer and evaluation of biological behaviors.

Thyroid cancer (TC) is an extremely prevailing malignant endocrine tumor. Therefore, effective diagnostic tools are necessary. This study explored the application value of dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) in TC diagnosis and biological behavior assessment. This study retrospectively selected 68 TC patients and another 74 benign patients with thyroid adenoma, nodular goiter, or adenomatous hyperplasia. All patients were confirmed by pathological examination and underwent DSCT examination. The iodine concentration (IC) obtained from plain computed tomography (CT) scanning and normalized iodine concentration (NIC) in the arterial phase and venous phase were recorded. The positive expression rates of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), estrogen receptors beta (ERβ), and Ki67 in pathological tissues were determined by immunohistochemistry, and their correlation with IC in plain CT was assessed by Pearson correlation analysis, respectively. The diagnostic values of IC in plain CT and venous phase NIC in TC patients were evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic curve. Malignant patients had lower IC in plain DSCT scanning, venous phase NIC, and ERβ, and higher ERα and Ki67 than benign patients. IC level in plain DSCT scanning was inversely-correlated with ERα and Ki-67 positive expression rates, but positively-related to ERβ to different degrees. For the diagnosis of TC patients, the AUC of IC level in plain DSCT was 0.771, with a cut-off value of 1.250 (97.06% sensitivity and 41.89% specificity), and the AUC of venous phase NIC was 0.738, with a cut-off value of 0.825 (100% sensitivity and 43.24% specificity). The IC level obtained from DSCT scanning could assist in the differential diagnosis of malignant and benign thyroid nodules and evaluation of biological behaviors.

Prevalence and Predictors of Low Breast Milk Iodine Concentration in Women Following Vegan, Vegetarian, and Omnivore Diets.

Purpose: Breast milk iodine concentration (BMIC) from vegan and vegetarian lactating mothers has not previously been evaluated. The goal of this study was to assess BMIC from vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores and to assess intake of iodine by breastfed infants. Materials and Methods: Breast milk samples from vegans (n = 12), vegetarians (n = 6), and omnivores (n = 12) living in the United States were analyzed. BMIC was determined at the mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) 127 by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) using an Agilent 8800 ICP-MS/MS (Agilent Technologies). Results: There was a significant difference in mean BMIC between participants following a plant-based diet (vegan and vegetarian, n = 18) compared with omnivores [4.42 versus 5.02 Ln(BMIC), respectively; p = 0.0405]. In linear regression to predict BMIC, vegan diet was a negative predictor (standardized β = -0.409) and use of multi- or prenatal supplements was a positive predictor (standardized β = 0.319). There were differences in the percentage of inadequate BMIC per maternal diet (75% vegan, 67% vegetarian, omnivore 58%) but this did not reach statistical significance. In 67% of the samples (20/30) BMIC was lower than the National Academy of Medicine's adequate intake (AI), assuming infant milk consumption of 0.78 L/day. Conclusions: Most samples from vegans and vegetarians contained a lower BMIC than AI for infants 0-6 months. Counseling of pregnant vegans and vegetarians should highlight importance of iodine supplementation during lactation. The findings are based on a small number of samples, especially for vegetarians, and thus, they need to be confirmed by larger studies.

A Crosslinked Ionic Organic Framework for Efficient Iodine and Iodide Remediation in Water.

Iodine is widely used as an antimicrobial reagent for water disinfection in the wilderness and outer space, but residual iodine and iodide need to be removed for health reasons. Currently, it is challenging to remove low concentrations of iodine and iodide in water (≈5 ppm). Furthermore, the remediation of iodine and iodide across a broad temperature range (up to 90 °C) has not previously been investigated. In this work, we report a nitrate dimer-directed synthesis of a single-crystalline ionic hydrogen-bonded crosslinked organic framework (HC OF-7). HC OF-7 removes iodine and iodide species in water efficiently through halogen bonding and anion exchange, reducing the total iodine concentration to 0.22 ppm at room temperature. Packed HC OF-7 columns were employed for iodine/iodide breakthrough experiments between 23 and 90 °C, and large breakthrough volumes were recorded (≥18.3 L g-1 ). The high iodine/iodide removal benchmarks recorded under practical conditions make HC OF-7 a promising adsorbent for water treatment.

A Crosslinked Ionic Organic Framework for Efficient Iodine and Iodide Remediation in Water

AbstractIodine is widely used as an antimicrobial reagent for water disinfection in the wilderness and outer space, but residual iodine and iodide need to be removed for health reasons. Currently, it is challenging to remove low concentrations of iodine and iodide in water (≈5 ppm). Furthermore, the remediation of iodine and iodide across a broad temperature range (up to 90 °C) has not previously been investigated. In this work, we report a nitrate dimer‐directed synthesis of a single‐crystalline ionic hydrogen‐bonded crosslinked organic framework (HCOF‐7). HCOF‐7 removes iodine and iodide species in water efficiently through halogen bonding and anion exchange, reducing the total iodine concentration to 0.22 ppm at room temperature. Packed HCOF‐7 columns were employed for iodine/iodide breakthrough experiments between 23 and 90 °C, and large breakthrough volumes were recorded (≥18.3 L g−1). The high iodine/iodide removal benchmarks recorded under practical conditions make HCOF‐7 a promising adsorbent for water treatment.

Contrast thresholds for detection of various iodine concentrations in subtraction CT and dual-energy CT systems.

To estimate the minimum iodine concentrations detectable in simulated vessels of various diameters for both subtraction computed tomography (CT) and dual-energy CT systems. Fillable tubes (diameters: 1, 3, and 5mm) were filled with a variety of iodine concentrations (range: 0-20mg/ml), placed in the center of 28-mm cylindrical rods and surrounded with water. Rods with and without fillable tubes were placed in a 20-cm cylindrical solid-water phantom to simulate administration of iodine in blood vessels. The phantom was scanned with clinical subtraction CT (SCT) and dual-energy CT (DECT) head protocols to assess the detection of minimum iodine concentrations in both systems. The SCT and DECT images were evaluated quantitatively with a MATLAB script to extract regions of interest (ROIs) of each simulated vessel. ROI measurements were used to calculate the limit of detectability (LOD) and signal-to-noise ratio of Rose criteria for the assessment of the contrast thresholds. Both SNRRose and LOD methods agreed and determined the minimum detectable iodine concentration to be 0.4mg/ml in the 5-mm diameter vessel for SCT. However, the minimum detectable concentration in the 5-mm vessel with DECT was 1mg/ml. The 3-mm vessel had a minimum detectable concentration of 0.8mg/ml for SCT and 2mg/ml for DECT. Lastly, the minimum detectable iodine concentration for the 1-mm vessel was 10mg/ml for SCT and 10mg/ml for DECT. In this phantom study, SCT showed the capability to detect lower iodine concentrations compared to DECT. Contrast thresholds varied for vessels of different diameters and the smaller vessels required a higher iodine concentration for detection. Based on this knowledge, radiologists can modify their protocols to increase contrast enhancement.

Measurements of 129I in waters of China, India and Arabian Sea

AMS experiments were conducted to use 129I as a tracer of the outspread of nuclear pollution from the 2011 Fukushima Nuclear Accident over India, China and the Arabian Sea. Water samples were collected repetitively between 2016 and 2020. Seawater samples from Shanghai and from Disneyland Hong Kong had low iodine concentrations of 1.4 × 107 atoms/L. However, the India big rivers and the Arabian Sea, have about one order of magnitude higher iodine concentrations on average 2.3 × 108 atoms/L. The values of the 129I tracer concentrations decrease towards south-west direction in the Arabian Sea and is reduced for rivers in the Himalayan region close to Tibet. At Muscat and Salalah, located on the Oman coast, the measured concentration in water samples were on average 2.2 × 107 atoms/L. The enhanced concentation of the 129I tracer in India is likely produced by internal pollution sources.

Sequential Separation of Iodine Species in Nitric Acid Media for Speciation Analysis of 129I in a PUREX Process of Spent Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing.

For efficient and accurate speciation analysis of 129I in the nitric acid solution of spent nuclear fuel in its reprocessing process, a sequential procedure for stepwise separation of different iodine species in 3 mol/L HNO3 was proposed based on the solvent extraction using CCl4 and mesitylene. Molecular iodine (I2) was first separated by solvent extraction using CCl4, and iodide (I-) remaining in the aqueous phase was oxidized to I2 by adding NaNO2 and then extracted to mesitylene. Finally, iodate (IO3-) was reduced to I2 using NH2OH·HCl and extracted to mesitylene. The separation efficiency of 98-99% for tracer amounts of 129I2, 129I-, and 129IO3- in 3 mol/L HNO3 and less than 2% crossover among different iodine species were achieved. The extraction process and mechanism of different iodine species in CCl4 and mesitylene were investigated, and the problem of crossover of different iodine species due to the low extraction efficiency of low concentration of iodine in nitric acid solution was solved. A direct transfer of IO3- from HNO3 to the mesitylene phase without conversion to I2 was observed, which was attributed to the iodination of mesitylene in the HNO3 medium. Addition of a stable iodine species carrier and repeated extraction significantly improved the separation efficiency of iodine species, making their quantitative separation achievable. This method provides an approach for speciation analysis of 129I in the acidic spent nuclear fuel solution, enabling us to investigate and control the behavior of volatile 129I in the spent nuclear fuel reprocessing process.

Superior Iodine Uptake Capacity Enabled by an Open Metal-Sulfide Framework Composed of Three Types of Active Sites

Superior Iodine Uptake Capacity Enabled by an Open Metal-Sulfide Framework Composed of Three Types of Active Sites

Application of Low Iodine Concentration Contrast Agent in CTA Examination of Children with Congenital Heart Disease

Application of Low Iodine Concentration Contrast Agent in CTA Examination of Children with Congenital Heart Disease

Improvement in the Reliability of AOAC Official MethodSM 2012.15 for Iodine, Part-2.

In our previous study, the AOAC Official MethodSM2012.15 (Method 2012.15) was modified by adding carbon (as methanol) to the standard and final test solutions for accurate quantification of iodine in infant and special formulas after incomplete matrix oven digestion. However, when an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) instrument from a different manufacturer was used, inaccurately low iodine content values were obtained using both the original and modified methods. To obtain more reliable values for infant formulas using varying ICP-MS instruments. The protocol was modified by changing the ratio of the pump tubing inner diameters (IDs) for the ICP-MS system or by optimizing the internal standards for Method 2012.15. No significant improvement was observed by changing the ratio of the pump tubing IDs. In the optimization study of the internal standard, when germanium is used as the internal standard, the measurement result of NIST SRM® 1849 was within the certified value range. Furthermore, with the addition of methanol equivalent to 5% to the standard and final test solution based on our previous study, the recovery of the samples was within the certified range of SMPR 2012.008. This demonstrates that changing the internal standard to germanium and adding methanol equivalent to 5％ to the standard and final test solution, can result in stable measurement even when the ICP-MS specifications were changed. The modified Method 2012.15 provides reliable results even if the instrument is changed by changing the internal standard to germanium.

High efficient and continuous recovery of iodine in saline wastewater by flow-electrode capacitive deionization

Iodine (I) is a non-renewable and important scarce resource and an essential trace element for human body. Meanwhile, the low concentration radioactive iodine produced by the nuclear industry can cause serious harm to the environment and human beings. The purpose of this study is to investigate the removal and recovery of low-concentration iodine in wastewater by flow-electrode capacitive deionization (FCDI) technology to achieve sustainable utilization of iodine. We systematically investigate the effect of FCDI on iodine enrichment performance under different operating parameters. The results indicate that compared with Cl−, I− is preferentially removed. Cl− and I− have different removal behaviors from brackish water to brine concentration, but I− show a better removal behavior and has a higher selectivity. The iodine removal efficiency remains above 96% after continuous100 cycles under the optimal operating parameters of the FCDI unit with high charge utilization efficiency. Long-term batch experiments show that the low-concentration feed iodine solution (100 mg/L) can be effectively concentrated to 18 times after 24 h operation, with the final iodine concentration dropping to 8.2 mg/L in the feed water chamber and rising to 1818.5 mg/L in the concentration chamber. Overall, the excellent concentration effect, high removal efficiency, and low-energy consumption of the FCDI system in the iodine removal and recovery make it a promising method for the treatment of iodine-containing wastewater.

Overview of Iodine Intake

Iodine is an essential element for human health. Food is the primary source of iodine, but the iodine content of local foods depends on the iodine content of the soil. Therefore, a low iodine concentration in soil and water results in plants and animals with low iodine content. Numerous effects of iodine deficiency on growth and development are known as iodine deficiency disorders. Iodine deficiency has been identified as the most common cause of brain damage in the world and is linked to its effects on infant and child growth and development. Supplementation of table salt with iodine was introduced in the 20th century. Croatia was one of the first countries to introduce the supplementation of table salt with potassium iodide at a concentration of 10 mg/kg in 1953 and 25 mg/kg in 1993. In 2003, the Croatian population reached iodine sufficiency, but given the excessive salt intake (11.6 g/day) and additional sources of iodine in the diet, the question arises, are we consuming too much iodine? This article gives a short overview of iodine intake.

Chemically Stable Guanidinium Covalent Organic Framework for the Efficient Capture of Low-Concentration Iodine at High Temperatures

The capture of radioactive I2 vapor from nuclear waste under industrial operating conditions remains a challenging task, as the practical industrial conditions of high temperature (≥150 °C) and low I2 concentration (∼150 ppmv) are unfavorable for I2 adsorption. We report a novel guanidinium-based covalent organic framework (COF), termed TGDM, which can efficiently capture I2 under industrial operating conditions. At 150 °C and 150 ppmv I2, TGDM exhibits an I2 uptake of ∼30 wt %, which is significantly higher than that of the industrial silver-based adsorbents such as Ag@MOR (17 wt %) currently used in the nuclear fuel reprocessing industry. Characterization and theoretical calculations indicate that among the multiple types of adsorption sites in TGDM, only ionic sites can bond to I2 through strong Coulomb interactions under harsh conditions. The abundant ionic groups of TGDM account for its superior I2 capture performance compared to various benchmark adsorbents. In addition, TGDM exhibits exceptionally high chemical and thermal stabilities that fully meet the requirements of practical radioactive I2 capture (high-temperature, humid, and acidic environment) and differentiate it from other ionic COFs. Furthermore, TGDM has excellent recyclability and low cost, which are unavailable for the current industrial silver-based adsorbents. These advantages make TGDM a promising candidate for capturing I2 vapor during nuclear fuel reprocessing. This strategy of incorporating chemically stable ionic guanidine moieties in COF would stimulate the development of new adsorbents for I2 capture and related applications.

Iodine status in pregnant women and infants in Finland

PurposeIodine insufficiency during pregnancy may adversely influence fetal growth and development. There is a lack of information on iodine status in pregnant women and infants in many countries including Finland. The aim of this study is to determine dietary intake of iodine and the iodine status in a population of Finnish pregnant women and their infants.MethodsUrine samples were collected from women participating in a mother–child clinical study at early (n = 174) and late pregnancy (n = 186) and at three months of postpartum (n = 197), when infant samples were also collected (n = 123). Urine iodine concentration was measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Cutoffs for iodine insufficiency were < 150 µg/L during pregnancy and < 100 µg/L at postpartum and in infants. Iodine intake was assessed using 3-day food diaries.ResultsIncreased risk of insufficiency, based on urinary iodine concentrations, was observed in the groups investigated in this study. Of the women studied, 66% had urinary iodine concentrations indicating insufficient intakes and iodine insufficiency at early pregnancy, 70% at late pregnancy and 59% at three months of postpartum. This was also the case in 29% of the three-month-old infants. Estimation of iodine intake revealed that iodine insufficient women had lower intakes of iodine from the diet, from food supplements and from diet plus supplements than iodine sufficient women in early pregnancy and at three months of post-partum. In late pregnancy, this difference was seen for iodine intake from supplements.ConclusionThe majority of the women manifested with low urine iodine concentrations both during and after pregnancy. Similarly, one-third of the infants presented with iodine insufficiency. Maternal iodine intake data support these findings. These observations may have implications for optimal child cognitive development.

The Image Quality and Diagnostic Performance of CT with Low-Concentration Iodine Contrast (240 mg Iodine/mL) for the Abdominal Organs.

Purpose: To evaluate the difference between CT examinations using 240 mgI/mL contrast material (CM) and 320 mgI/mL CM in the contrast enhancement of the abdominal organs and the diagnostic performance for focal hepatic lesions. Materials and methods: This retrospective study included 422 CT examinations, using 240 mgI/mL iohexol (Group A, 206 examinations) and 320 mgI/mL ioversol (Group B, 216 examinations), performed between April 2019 and May 2020. Two CT scanners (single-source CT (machine A) and dual-source CT (machine B)) were used to obtain CT images. Two radiologists independently drew regions of interest (ROIs) in the liver, pancreas, spleen, kidney, aorta, portal vein, and paraspinal muscle. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were calculated for each organ. They evaluated the degree of subjective enhancement of the organs and detected/differentiated focal hepatic lesions. Results: The SNR, CNR, and subjective enhancement of most organs were significantly higher in Group B than in Group A (p < 0.05). The sensitivity and specificity for cysts and malignancy were higher than 85.0% in both groups. The sensitivity for hemangioma was lower in Group B (<75%) than in Group A. In Group A, the SNR and CNR were significantly higher in most organs with machine B than with machine A. Conclusion: Although the SNR and CNR of the abdominal organs were lower with 240 mgI/mL CM than with 320 mgI/mL CM, 240 mgI/mL CM was feasible for evaluating the liver. A CT scanner with more advanced specifications may be beneficial for examinations with 240 mgI/mL CM by using lower tube voltage.

Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking: The Case of Crazy Clock and Beyond

In this work, we describe the crazy-clock phenomenon involving the state I (low iodide and iodine concentration) to state II (high iodide and iodine concentration with new iodine phase) transition after a Briggs–Rauscher (BR) oscillatory process. While the BR crazy-clock phenomenon is known, this is the first time that crazy-clock behavior is linked and explained with the symmetry-breaking phenomenon, highlighting the entire process in a novel way. The presented phenomenon has been thoroughly investigated by running more than 60 experiments, and evaluated by using statistical cluster K-means analysis. The mixing rate, as well as the magnetic bar shape and dimensions, have a strong influence on the transition appearance. Although the transition for both mixing and no-mixing conditions are taking place completely randomly, by using statistical cluster analysis we obtain different numbers of clusters (showing the time-domains where the transition is more likely to occur). In the case of stirring, clusters are more compact and separated, revealed new hidden details regarding the chemical dynamics of nonlinear processes. The significance of the presented results is beyond oscillatory reaction kinetics since the described example belongs to the small class of chemical systems that shows intrinsic randomness in their response and it might be considered as a real example of a classical liquid random number generator.

A Method for Reducing Variability Across Dual-Energy CT Manufacturers in Quantification of Low Iodine Content Levels.

BACKGROUND. Clinical use of the dual-energy CT (DECT) iodine quantification technique is hindered by between-platform (i.e., across different manufacturers) variability in iodine concentration (IC) values, particularly at low iodine levels. OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to develop in an anthropomorphic phantom a method for reducing between-platform variability in quantification of low iodine content levels using DECT and to evaluate the method's performance in patients undergoing serial clinical DECT examinations on different platforms. METHODS. An anthropomorphic phantom in three body sizes, incorporating varied lesion types and scanning conditions, was imaged with three distinct DECT implementations from different manufacturers at varying radiation exposures. A cross-platform iodine quantification model for correcting between-platform variability at low iodine content was developed using the phantom data. The model was tested in a retrospective series of 30 patients (20 men, 10 women; median age, 62 years) who each underwent three serial contrast-enhanced DECT examinations of the abdomen and pelvis (90 scans total) for routine oncology surveillance using the same three DECT platforms as in the phantom. Estimated accuracy of phantom IC values was summarized using root-mean-square error (RMSE) relative to known IC. Between-platform variability in patients was summarized using root-mean-square deviation (RMSD). RMSE and RMSD were compared between platform-based IC (ICPB) and cross-platform IC (ICCP). ICPB was normalized to aorta and portal vein. RESULTS. In the phantom study, mean RMSE of ICPB across platforms and other experimental conditions was 0.65 ± 0.18 mg I/mL compared with 0.40 ± 0.08 mg I/mL for ICCP (38% decrease in mean RMSE; p < .05). Intrapatient between-platform variability across serial DECT examinations was higher for ICPB than ICCP (RMSD, 97% vs 88%; p < .001). Between-platform variability was not reduced by normalization of ICPB to aorta (RMSD, 97% vs 101%; p = .12) or portal vein (RMSD, 97% vs 97%; p = .81). CONCLUSION. The developed cross-platform method significantly decreased between-platform variability occurring at low iodine content with platform-based DECT iodine quantification. CLINICAL IMPACT. With further validation, the cross-platform method, which has been implemented as a web-based app, may expand clinical use of DECT iodine quantification, yielding meaningful IC values that reflect tissue biologic viability or treatment response in patients who undergo serial examinations on different platforms.

Bali Government’s Strategic Plan to Introduce Kusamba Salt Worldwide

In Bali, Kusamba village in Klungkung regency has been known as a Salt producer village. Despite its final premium product, it has not been marketed with attractive packaging to elevate its value. The salt has low iodine content, making it unattractive compared to most table salt products. Realising the potential, the Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, suggested to improve its marketing strategy thus the salt farmer could yield a huge benefit once the product value is well-optimized. The idea was fully supported by the Regent of Klungkung, Nyoman Suwirta. Further, Suwirta pointed out the vision to bring the local product domestically and globally since the salt-making process in Kusamba has a sentimental taste historical value for the society. The salt industry is a strategic sector that needs to be developed, considering that Indonesia is still dependent on imported products despite having vast marine potential. Assistances from Government and private sector becomes a possible solution, to elevate the commodities standard thus the high-quality local salt might be accepted by Global communities.

Household Water Is the Main Source of Iodine Consumption among Women in Hargeisa, Somaliland: A Cross-Sectional Study

BackgroundIodine status surveys of women in Somaliland present widely conflicting results. Previous research indicates elevated concentrations of iodine (IQR 18–72 μg/L) in groundwater used for drinking and cooking, but the relation with iodine intake is not well characterized. ObjectivesWe aimed to investigate the contributions of household water iodine concentration (WIC), breastfeeding, total fluid intake, hydration levels, and urine volume on urinary iodine concentration (UIC) and excretion (UIE) over a 24-h period and to define iodine status from iodine intake estimates and median UIC, normalized to a mean urine volume of 1.38 L/d (hydration adjusted). MethodsThe study sample comprised 118 nonpregnant, healthy women aged 15–69 y. All participants resided in Hargeisa, and 27 were breastfeeding. Data collection consisted of a 24-h urine collection, a 24-h fluid intake diary, a beverage frequency questionnaire, and a structured recall interview. We measured UIC and WIC in all urine and in 49 household water samples using the Sandell-Kolthoff reaction. ResultsWIC ranged between 3 and 188 μg/L, with significant median differences across the water sources and city districts (P < 0.003). Nonbreastfeeding women were borderline iodine sufficient [hydration-adjusted median urinary iodine concentration (mUIC) 109 μg/L; 95% CI: 97, 121 μg/L], whereas breastfeeding women showed a mild iodine deficiency (73 μg/L; 95% CI: 54, 90 μg/L). There were strong correlations (ρ: 0.50–0.69, P = 0.001) between WIC and UIC, with iodine from household water contributing more than one-half of the total iodine intake. Multivariate regression showed hydration and breastfeeding status to be the main predictors of UIC. ConclusionsIodine from household water is the main contributor to total iodine intake among women in Hargeisa, Somaliland. Variation in female hydration and spatial and temporal WIC may explain diverging mUIC between studies. Water sources at the extremes of low and high iodine concentrations increase the risk of subpopulations with insufficient or more than adequate iodine intake.

Simultaneous Image Reconstruction and Element Decomposition for Iodine Contrast Agent Visualization in Multienergy Element-Resolved Cone Beam CT.

Iodine contrast agent is widely used in liver cancer radiotherapy at CT simulation stage to enhance detectability of tumor. However, its application in cone beam CT (CBCT) for image guidance before treatment delivery is still limited because of poor image quality and excessive dose of contrast agent during multiple treatment fractions. We previously developed a multienergy element-resolved (MEER) CBCT framework that included x-ray projection data acquisition on a conventional CBCT platform in a kVp-switching model and a dictionary-based image reconstruction algorithm that simultaneously reconstructed x-ray attenuation images at each kilovoltage peak (kVp), an electron density image, and elemental composition images. In this study, we investigated feasibility using MEER-CBCT for low-concentration iodine contrast agent visualization. We performed simulation and experimental studies using a phantom with inserts containing water and different concentrations of iodine solution and the MEER-CBCT scan with 600 projections in a full gantry rotation, in which the kVp level sequentially changed among 80, 100, and 120 kVps. We included iodine material in the dictionary of the reconstruction algorithm. We analyzed iodine detectability as quantified by contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and compared results with those of CBCT images reconstructed by the standard filter back projection (FBP) method with 600 projections. MEER-CBCT achieved similar contrast enhancement as FBP method but significantly higher CNR. At 2.5% iodine solution concentration, FBP method achieved 170 HU enhancement and CNR of 2.0, considered the standard CNR for successful tumor visualization. MEER-CBCT achieved the same CNR but at ~6.3 times lower iodine concentration of 0.4%.