Abstract

"Background: The concentrations of micronutrients namely I2, Fe2+, Mg, K and Na were determined in indigenous salt samples of Busia and Lugari regions of Western Kenya in 2013. Methods: pH measurement was done using a JENWAY pH meter model 3505 while Iodine determination was by use of sodium thiosulphate titrimetric method. Iron (II) was done using the Phenanthroline method. Sodium and Potassium Metals in Salt Samples was by a determined by flame photometer model 410 while magnesium was determined using an AAS machine. Results: The salt content of raw material do not exceed 1 and 10% in the ash obtained. T. latifolia contains, respectively 4% of salt in the ash obtained and 0.003% of the raw material. The results indicate higher pH values, with an average of 10.53, for salts prepared from Busia, Cyperus papyrus (pH= 10.23-10.55) as compared to those from Lugari, Typha Latifolia (pH=9.56-9.76), with an average of 9.66. Salts from Cyperus papyrus species of Busia County had the highest moisture content, ranging from 4.88 % to 15.61% while those from Lugari County, Typha Latifolia salts had the lowest moisture content with a range of 0.53 % to 1.03 %. Lugari salt samples had high levels of iodine with a range of 0.5082 to 1.1435ppm while Busia salts had lower iodine levels in the range of 0.3049-0.4158 ppm. The average concentration of iodine in Typha latifolia is higher than in Cyperus papyrus, with 0.937 ppm and 0.1802 ppm respectively. Sodium is higher than potassium in all the samples, and particularly for Busia samples with the highest Na concentrations. There is between 41.04 - 54.22 % more sodium in Lugari samples compared to the 70. 78 – 75.01 % in Busia samples. Iron concentrations are directly proportional with iodine, with higher levels of iron in C. papyrus (15.04-17.89 mg/g) than in T. latifolia (range of 4.61-11.25 mg/g ).iodine is higher in Busia than in Lugari. Sodium, iron and iodine are apparently higher in Busia samples as compared to the salt samples from Lugari with 796.79, 1.789 and 3.173 ppm respectively as the highest concentrations for the elements. Sodium is the highest in each of the regions with 796.79 ppm in Busia while Lugari recorded up to 182.80 ppm as the highest. Iodine levels seemed to increase with increase in pH while there was no significant relationship with % moisture. "

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