what is iodine used for
Iodine is a chemical element with symbol I and atomic number 53. The name is from Greek á¼°Î¿ÎµÎ¹Î´Î®Ï ioeidÄs, meaning violet or purple, due to the color of elemental iodine vapor. Iodine and its compounds are primarily used in nutrition, and industrially in the production of acetic acid and certain polymers.Iodine's relatively high atomic number, low toxicity, and ease of attachment to organic compounds have made it a part of many X-ray contrast materials in modern medicine.odine-131 (usually in the chemical form of iodide) is a component of nuclear fallout, and is particularly dangerous owing to the thyroid gland's propensity to concentrate ingested iodine, where it is kept for periods longer than this isotope's radiological half-life of eight days.