Abstract:
Background: The concentrations of micronutrients namelyI2, Fe2+, Mg, K and Nawere 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. latifoliacontains, 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 Typhalatifolia 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.
