Questions re: Potassium Iodide

[Hivemindgammahydra7]

I may be getting the name wrong so please correct me if I did. I have some general questions about Potassium Iodide, and hope you can help educate me further about it.

A. How does it work when taken orally?

B. How effective is it in countering the effects of radiation on the human body?

C. Should people in California take it in the event that the reactor in Japan melts down?

D. Can you recommend a good commercial source where I can purchase this?

Thanks for any help/info...

7

[gnome]

B) While I can't give actual statistics, Nagasaki & Hiroshima proved that dosages of minerals, including iodide in the traditional Japanese diet, especially seaweed and miso soup was difference between life and death for a great many people. I know one survivor from Hiroshima, he is in his 80's now...he credits the traditional diet with his survival over many of his peers.

[elroy]

You can buy this stuff from survival websites that sell gear and food.

http://www.campingsurvival.com/nucprot.html

We have a couple bottles of the KI03 on hand.

This stuff accumulates in the thyroid basically saturating the thyroid gland so nothing else can be absorbed.

I don't really know the long term affects of taking it so I wouldn't take it unless it was really necessary.

[AgBar]

A. How does it work when taken orally?

It only protects against radioactive isotopes of Iodine, mostly I-131. Now, that's helpful, because I-131 is nasty stuff: a beta- and gamma emitter of high-ish energy. It's also helpful because your body uses Iodine in a lot of places, most notably the Thyroid gland.

But KI will not "protect you from radiation," it will just prevent your body from absorbing radioactive I into its own chemistry.

Chemically, the two isotoptes are (nearly) identical, so your body doesn't know one iodine atom from another. The KI tablets basically saturate your body with stable Iodine (I-127). That way, if you do happen to ingest the radioisotope, you'll just flush it out through your kidneys as excess. That way the I-131 decays in waste-water, rather than in your body.

I-131 has a half-life of about 8 days. So after 24 or 36 days or so it's mostly gone, decayed into Xenon.



B. How effective is it in countering the effects of radiation on the human body?

Not at all. What it does is prevent you from storing the I-131 radioisotope directly in your organs. Again, this is helpful, but what you're doing is dodging the I-131 bullet. You're not "protected from radiation" in the strictest sense.

But insofar as this "Iodine-flushing" effect goes, KI is quite effective according to what I've read. But you might want to get a biologist or an MD for a clearer answer on that.



And I don't feel qualified to answer your questions C and D. I don't know what's being released in Japan at the moment. But as far as the West coast goes, remember that any I-131 would have to be blown over the ocean by the wind. That will take a few days, I would think, and with that 8-day half-life anything making it over to North America would be de-fanged a bit.

[noworries]

B) While I can't give actual statistics, Nagasaki & Hiroshima proved that dosages of minerals, including iodide in the traditional Japanese diet, especially seaweed and miso soup was difference between life and death for a great many people. I know one survivor from Hiroshima, he is in his 80's now...he credits the traditional diet with his survival over many of his peers.

Great info and very true!
Dark Red and Brown MISO Soup was very much the reason so many survived. Short-grain brown rice as well, especially if cooked with a bit of NORI or other Sea Vegetable (sea weed); very high in vitamins and if the rice (organic is best) is combined with the ADZUKI BEAN you get a Complete Protein and great boost to immune system vitality.

Lots of good ways to cook the basic and most health-giving foods in various MACROBIOTIC Cookbooks. Might search for "macrobiotics today" website. Your library might have some cookbooks.

Macrobiotic Diet is basically the "traditional Japanese diet". Very easy to cook MISO Soup. It is a soy bean curd fermentation and a table spoon or two from the pkg (comes in a pasty-block consistency) stirred into near-boiling water. Make it as thick as you prefer. Has a real zesty taste. The stuff lasts for many years and some don't need refrigeration.

Try your independent healthfood store for the foodstuffs mentioned above. Ask them if they do macrobiotic meals or know a restaurant in area that does.

There is info at www.ki4u.com about using topical iodine like Betadine which you can get at drugstore etc. Can paint an area of abdomen with betadine and the iodine absorption will also protect you if can't get Potassium Iodide tablets. Other good info at Shane Connor's website ki4u.com

[argentos]

.... remember that any I-131 would have to be blown over the ocean by the wind. That will take a few days, I would think, and with that 8-day half-life anything making it over to North America would be de-fanged a bit.


Those WW2 Japanese balloon bombs took three days to reach continental North America. Particles might go quicker?

[dacrunch]

Back when Chernobyl blew, I was listening to a Radio Talk Show doctor... so long ago I've forgotten his name... but he "taught" me something I haven't forgotten. (Edit: Dr Dean Edell - spelling in question)

Essentially:

1) The thyroid gland is a "sponge" for iodine.

2) "Radiation" exposure from a nuke meltdown is mainly "radioactive iodine".

3) If you're exposed to the radioactive iodine, your thyroid gland will "soak it up" and "store it" in your body, thereby increasing risk of all types of ailments... unless...

4) unless your thyroid gland is already saturated with non-radioactive iodine.

5) By the time any Potassium Iodide pills get distributed, it will most likely occur AFTER your exposure to the radiation, so TOO LATE, SUCKER!

6) You need a prescription for Potassium Iodide in regular times, and have to be careful about overuse and kids' dosage etc.

7) There's a much simpler way to deal with this risk prevention: just buy a little bottle of Tincture of Iodine (plain concentrated Iodine) at your local drug store. A couple of bucks.

DO NOT DRINK - POISON

8) If you hear your local nuke is having problems... or that the fallout cloud from a distance might be headed your way, all you have to do is swab a couple square inches of Iodine on your skin (I do it on the sole of the foot). Your body will absorb whatever it needs, and saturate your thyroid gland with "clean" iodine.

DO NOT DRINK - POISON

9) Risks? a) A few people are allergic to iodine. b) It stains the skin for a couple days, and anything it comes into contact with while wet. Careful of spills, you won't get the stain off a marble sink or a porous ceramic tile floor.

DO NOT DRINK - POISON

So, since the 80s, I've always had a bottle of Iodine in my shaving kit. Use it for cuts, scrapes, blisters as a disinfectant. Lasts forever and never has an expiration date... And won't make the Drug Cartel rich...

Cheers

:bandit:

[AgBar]

Those WW2 Japanese balloon bombs took three days to reach continental North America. Particles might go quicker?

mmm...good point.

I'm not sure, but I think those balloons used the jet streams. Clouds of muck from that power plant would tend to stay in the lower airs, I'd think. Certainly the heavier stuff -- heavier than your average O2 or N2 molecule, which would include any Iodine compound -- would tend, on average, to fall rather than rise in the atmosphere.

Since my earlier post I've seen a few maps projecting 6-10 days travel time to the west coast of N.A., for what that's worth...no idea where those times came from, though.

[Juristic Person]

Potassium iodide Side Effects from Drugs.com

There are long lists of pretty severe reactions - includes Hyper and Hypo thyroidism in some people, and goiter.
http://www.drugs.com/sfx/potassium-iodide-side-effects.html

EXCERPT from CDC page below -

"Adults: Adults older than 40 years should not take KI unless public health or emergency management officials say that contamination with a very large dose of radioactive iodine is expected. Adults older than 40 years have the lowest chance of developing thyroid cancer or thyroid injury after contamination with radioactive iodine. They also have a greater chance of having allergic reactions to KI.

"How often should I take KI?

"A single dose of KI protects the thyroid gland for 24 hours. A one-time dose at the levels recommended in this fact sheet is usually all that is needed to protect the thyroid gland. In some cases, radioactive iodine might be in the environment for more than 24 hours. If that happens, local emergency management or public health officials may tell you to take one dose of KI every 24 hours for a few days. You should do this only on the advice of emergency management officials, public health officials, or your doctor. Avoid repeat dosing with KI for pregnant and breastfeeding women and newborn infants. Those individuals may need to be evacuated until levels of radioactive iodine in the environment fall. "

CDC Radiation Emergencies | Potassium Iodide (KI)

Potassium Iodide (KI)

What is Potassium Iodide (KI)?

Potassium iodide (also called KI) is a salt of stable (not radioactive) iodine. Stable iodine is an important chemical needed by the body to make thyroid hormones. Most of the stable iodine in our bodies comes from the food we eat. KI is stable iodine in a medicine form. This fact sheet from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gives you some basic information about KI. It explains what you should think about before you or a family member takes KI.

What does KI do?

Following a radiological or nuclear event, radioactive iodine may be released into the air and then be breathed into the lungs. Radioactive iodine may also contaminate the local food supply and get into the body through food or through drink. When radioactive materials get into the body through breathing, eating, or drinking, we say that "</radiation/contamination.asp>internal contamination" has occurred. In the case of internal contamination with radioactive iodine, the thyroid gland quickly absorbs this chemical. Radioactive iodine absorbed by the thyroid can then injure the gland. Because non-radioactive KI acts to block radioactive iodine from being taken into the thyroid gland, it can help protect this gland from injury.

What KI cannot do

Knowing what KI cannot do is also important. KI cannot prevent radioactive iodine from entering the body. KI canprotect only the thyroid from radioactive iodine, not other parts of the body. KI cannot reverse the health effects caused by radioactive iodine once damage to the thyroid has occurred. KI cannotprotect the body from radioactive elements other than radioactive iodine-if radioactive iodine is not present, taking KI is not protective.

How does KI work?

The thyroid gland cannot tell the difference between stable and radioactive iodine and will absorb both. KI works by blocking radioactive iodine from entering the thyroid. When a person takes KI, the stable iodine in the medicine gets absorbed by the thyroid. Because KI contains so much stable iodine, the thyroid gland becomes "full" and cannot absorb any more iodine-either stable or radioactive-for the next 24 hours.

Iodized table salt also contains iodine; iodized table salt contains enough iodine to keep most people healthy under normal conditions. However, table salt does not contain enough iodine to block radioactive iodine from getting into your thyroid gland. You should not use table salt as a substitute for KI.

How well does KI work?

Knowing that KI may not give a person 100% protection against radioactive iodine is important. How well KI blocks radioactive iodine depends on

how much time passes between contamination with radioactive iodine and the taking of KI (the sooner a person takes KI, the better),
how fast KI is absorbed into the blood, and
the total amount of radioactive iodine to which a person is exposed.

Who should take KI?

The thyroid glands of a fetus and of an infant are most at risk of injury from radioactive iodine. Young children and people with low stores of iodine in their thyroid are also at risk of thyroid injury.

Infants (including breast-fed infants): Infants need to be given the recommended dosage of KI for babies (<#howmuchki>see How much KI should I take?). The amount of KI that gets into breast milk is not enough to protect breast-fed infants from exposure to radioactive iodine. The proper dose of KI given to a nursing infant will help protect it from radioactive iodine that it breathes in or drinks in breast milk.

Children: The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that all children internally contaminated with (or likely to be internally contaminated with) radioactive iodine take KI, unless they have known allergies to iodine. Children from newborn to 18 years of age are the most sensitive to the potentially harmful effects of radioactive iodine.

Young Adults: The FDA recommends that young adults (between the ages of 18 and 40 years) internally contaminated with (or likely to be internally contaminated with) radioactive iodine take the recommended dose of KI. Young adults are less sensitive to the effects of radioactive iodine than are children.

Pregnant Women: Because all forms of iodine cross the placenta, pregnant women should take KI to protect the growing fetus. However, pregnant women should take only one dose of KI following internal contamination with (or likely internal contamination with) radioactive iodine.

Breastfeeding Women: Women who are breastfeeding should take only one dose of KI if they have been internally contaminated with (or are likely to be internally contaminated with) radioactive iodine. Because radioactive iodine quickly gets into breast milk, CDC recommends that women internally contaminated with (or are likely to be internally contaminated with) radioactive iodine stop breastfeeding and feed their child baby formula or other food if it is available. If breast milk is the only food available for an infant, nursing should continue.

Adults: Adults older than 40 years should not take KI unless public health or emergency management officials say that contamination with a very large dose of radioactive iodine is expected. Adults older than 40 years have the lowest chance of developing thyroid cancer or thyroid injury after contamination with radioactive iodine. They also have a greater chance of having allergic reactions to KI.

When should I take KI?

After a radiologic or nuclear event, local public health or emergency management officials will tell the public if KI or other protective actions are needed. For example, public health officials may advise you to remain in your home, school, or place of work (this is known as "shelter-in-place") or to evacuate. You may also be told not to eat some foods and not to drink some beverages until a safe supply can be brought in from outside the affected area. Following the instructions given to you by these authorities can lower the amount of radioactive iodine that enters your body and lower the risk of serious injury to your thyroid gland.

How much KI should I take?

The FDA has approved two different forms of KI-tablets and liquid-that people can take by mouth after a nuclear radiation emergency. Tablets come in two strengths, 130 milligram (mg) and 65 mg. The tablets are scored so they may be cut into smaller pieces for lower doses. Each milliliter (mL) of the oral liquid solution contains 65 mg of KI.
According to the FDA, the following doses are appropriate to take after internal contamination with (or likely internal contamination with) radioactive iodine:

Adults should take 130 mg (one 130 mg tablet OR two 65 mg tablets OR two mL of solution).
Women who are breastfeeding should take the adult dose of 130 mg.
Children between 3 and 18 years of age should take 65 mg (one 65 mg tablet OR 1 mL of solution). Children who are adult size (greater than or equal to 150 pounds) should take the full adult dose, regardless of their age.
Infants and children between 1 month and 3 years of age should take 32 mg ( of a 65 mg tablet OR mL of solution). This dose is for both nursing and non-nursing infants and children.
Newborns from birth to 1 month of age should be given 16 mg ( of a 65 mg tablet or mL of solution). This dose is for both nursing and non-nursing newborn infants.

How often should I take KI?

A single dose of KI protects the thyroid gland for 24 hours. A one-time dose at the levels recommended in this fact sheet is usually all that is needed to protect the thyroid gland. In some cases, radioactive iodine might be in the environment for more than 24 hours. If that happens, local emergency management or public health officials may tell you to take one dose of KI every 24 hours for a few days. You should do this only on the advice of emergency management officials, public health officials, or your doctor. Avoid repeat dosing with KI for pregnant and breastfeeding women and newborn infants. Those individuals may need to be evacuated until levels of radioactive iodine in the environment fall.

Taking a higher dose of KI, or taking KI more often than recommended, does not offer more protection and can cause severe illness or death.

Medical conditions that may make it harmful to take KI

Taking KI may be harmful for some people because of the high levels of iodine in this medicine. You should not take KI if
· you know you are allergic to iodine (If you are unsure about this, consult your doctor. A seafood or shellfish allergy does not necessarily mean that you are allergic to iodine.) or
· you have certain skin disorders (such as dermatitis herpetiformis or urticaria vasculitis).

People with thyroid disease (for example, multinodular goiter, Graves' disease, or autoimmune thyroiditis) may be treated with KI. This should happen under careful supervision of a doctor, especially if dosing lasts for more than a few days.

In all cases, talk to your doctor if you are not sure whether to take KI.

What are the possible risks and side effects of KI?

When public health or emergency management officials tell the public to take KI following a radiologic or nuclear event, the benefits of taking this drug outweigh the risks. This is true for all age groups. Some general side effects caused by KI may include intestinal upset, allergic reactions (possibly severe), rashes, and inflammation of the salivary glands.

When taken as recommended, KI causes only rare adverse health effects that specifically involve the thyroid gland. In general, you are more likely to have an adverse health effect involving the thyroid gland if you

take a higher than recommended dose of KI,
take the drug for several days, or
have pre-existing thyroid disease.

Newborn infants (less than 1 month old) who receive more than one dose of KI are at particular risk for developing a condition known as hypothyroidism (thyroid hormone levels that are too low). If not treated, hypothyroidism can cause brain damage. Infants who receive KI should have their thyroid hormone levels checked and monitored by a doctor. Avoid repeat dosing of KI to newborns.

Where can I get KI?

KI is available without a prescription. You should talk to your pharmacist to get KI and for directions about how to take it correctly. Your pharmacist can sell you KI brands that have been approved by the FDA.

Other Sources of Information

<http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/EmergencyPreparedness/BioterrorismandDrugPreparedness/ucm072265.htm>The FDA recommendations on KI can be reviewed on the Internet at Frequently Asked Questions on Potassium Iodide (KI) .

</radiation/index.asp>The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Emergency Response Site is available at CDC Radiation Emergencies.

[Someone_else]

There are some very informative points on iodine and the thyroid gland. The common recommended dose to saturate the gland is 130mg for adults and 65mg for children.

The powder or crystals are intensely bitter, so pills are a good idea, or if nothing else, one could mix it with flour and water to make a dough pill to swallow whole. This kind of dosage will probably cause an annoying metalic taste in the mouth for a while.

I have read many articles that suggest that iodine can be a very healthy supplement, because most people just don't get enough. I believe the suggested dosage is 7.5mg per day. I have a dropper bottle with 15g KI to 2 fluid oz water, and one drop a day gives me that. One drop in a glass of beverage is not even noticeable.

I have also read (mainly Pauling) that vitamin C can greatly help the body deal with radiation damage. And I strongly suspect that vitamin D3, and DMSO and/or MSM could also be very helpful to the body dealing with radiation. Since none of these have serious side effects, I would probably take large doses if I thought I were exposed to radiation. (My doses would probably be 10 or more grams C, 20,000 IU D, and one or two tablespoons DMSO or MSM . Too much C will cause the squirts and too much DMSO will cause really bad body odor. That's a fair trade, in my opinion.)

[917601]

Iodine (I will write in big letters) ONLY PROTECTS THE THYROID GLAND-NOTHING ELSE!!!!!!!! IT WILL NOT PROTECT ANY OTHER BODY PARTS.There is no protection against the Gammas, taking iodine only prevents thyroid cancer from developing 20-30 years down the road. 200 RADS exposure and you are a dead person walking-period. Alpha and Betas only burn your skin and heals within weeks.

[917601]

There are some very informative points on iodine and the thyroid gland. The common recommended dose to saturate the gland is 130mg for adults and 65mg for children.

The powder or crystals are intensely bitter, so pills are a good idea, or if nothing else, one could mix it with flour and water to make a dough pill to swallow whole. This kind of dosage will probably cause an annoying metalic taste in the mouth for a while.

I have read many articles that suggest that iodine can be a very healthy supplement, because most people just don't get enough. I believe the suggested dosage is 7.5mg per day. I have a dropper bottle with 15g KI to 2 fluid oz water, and one drop a day gives me that. One drop in a glass of beverage is not even noticeable.

I have also read (mainly Pauling) that vitamin C can greatly help the body deal with radiation damage. And I strongly suspect that vitamin D3, and DMSO and/or MSM could also be very helpful to the body dealing with radiation. Since none of these have serious side effects, I would probably take large doses if I thought I were exposed to radiation. (My doses would probably be 10 or more grams C, 20,000 IU D, and one or two tablespoons DMSO or MSM . Too much C will cause the squirts and too much DMSO will cause really bad body odor. That's a fair trade, in my opinion.)

This one areas of my expertise. Remember ACE. Vitamins A, C, and E in 1000's of MG along with colloidal silver does heal and lower the death rate.When we had a CD program, shelters were stocked with ACE and Lugols solution.BUT-the bottom line-when exposed to 200 RADS or more, you die.

[Juristic Person]

This one areas of my expertise. Remember ACE. Vitamins A, C, and E in 1000's of MG along with colloidal silver does heal and lower the death rate.When we had a CD program, shelters were stocked with ACE and Lugols solution.BUT-the bottom line-when exposed to 200 RADS or more, you die.

You got the compounds right but I don't agree with the dose.

My recommendation would be:

A - 5,000iu
C - 3,000mg
E - 1,000iu

This is a good antioxident formula for preventing free radical damage.

200mg of selenium would be good to throw in as well.

[Nickelless]

What's the shelf life of KI?

[AceNZ]

The key thing about radioactive iodine is that not only does the thyroid gland "soak it up," it also concentrates it in one place. It's that concentration that makes it more dangerous.

[917601]

Q: Quick Summary of FAQ.
A: Documentation and details of the following (and much more) are below in the FAQ:


Radioactive Iodine (Radioiodine) is a major radioisotope constituent of both nuclear power plant accidents and nuclear bomb explosions and can travel hundreds of miles on the winds. Thyroid cancer attributable to Chernobyl "...has been documented up to 500 km from the accident site." The maximum measured radioactive contamination of milk in the United States by radioiodine from the Chernobyl disaster was in milk produced by cows grazing on pasture in Washington: 560 picocuries per liter. Customary levels are normally 2-3 picocuries per liter.

Even very small amounts of inhaled or ingested radioiodine can do grave damage as it will always concentrate, and be retained, in the small space of the thyroid gland. Eventually giving such a large radiation dose to thyroid cells there that abnormalities are likely to result, such as loss of thyroid function, nodules in the thyroid, or thyroid cancer. (Each year 12,000 Americans discover they have thyroid cancer, though from various assorted causes, and about 1000 die from it.)

Chernobyl has shown, and continues to reveal, that the greatest danger from radioiodine is to the tiny thyroid glands of children. Researchers have found that in certain parts of Belarus, for example, 36.4 per cent of children, who were under the age of four at the time of the accident, can expect to develop thyroid cancer.

Health experts now estimate that the greatest health concerns affecting the largest number of people from a nuclear accident, or nuclear bomb explosion(s) anywhere in the world, will likely be from the release of radioiodine that is then carried downwind for hundreds of miles. While there will also be many other dangerous radioisotopes released along with radioiodine, if they are inhaled or ingested they are normally dispersed throughout a body and pose less of a risk than if they were to be concentrated into one small specific area of the body, like radioiodine is in the thyroid gland. So, as a plume or cloud of radioactive isotopes disperses with the wind its danger also diminshes, but much less quickly so for radioiodine because whatever little there is left, that's inhaled or ingested, will always then be concentrated into that small space of the thyroid gland.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_iodide we see reported that:

Chernobyl also demonstrated that the need to protect the thyroid from radiation was greater than expected. Within ten years of the accident, it became clear that thyroid damage caused by released radioactive iodine was virtually the only adverse health effect that could be measured. As reported by the NRC, studies after the accident showed, that "As of 1996, except for thyroid cancer, there has been no confirmed increase in the rates of other cancers, including leukemia, among the...public, that have been attributed to releases from the accident."
Researchers at the World Health Organization accurately located and counted the cancer victims from Chernobyl and were startled to find that "the increase in incidence [of thyroid cancer] has been documented up to 500 km from the accident site...significant doses from radioactive iodine can occur hundreds of kilometers from the site, beyond emergency planning zones." Consequently, far more people than anticipated were affected by the radiation, which caused the United Nations to report in 2002 that "The number of people with thyroid cancer...has exceeded expectations. Over 11,000 cases have already been reported."


The good news is that taking either Potassium Iodide (KI) or Potassium Iodate (KIO3) before exposure will saturate (fill up) a persons thyroid gland with safe stable iodine to where there is no room for later uptake of radioactive iodine. Once the thyroid is saturated, then any additional iodine (radioactive or stable) that is later inhaled or ingested is quickly eliminated via the kidneys.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_iodide we see reported about KI use during Chernobyl event that:

Poland, 300 miles from Chernobyl, also gave out KI to protect its population. Approximately 18 million doses were distributed, with follow-up studies showing no known thyroid cancer among KI recipients. But time has shown that people living in irradiated areas where KI was not available have developed thyroid cancer at epidemic levels, which is why the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported "The data clearly demonstrate the risks of thyroid radiation...KI can be used [to] provide safe and effective protection against thyroid cancer caused by irradiation."

The bad news is that after Three Mile Island and Chernobyl all available KI and KIO3 supplies disappeared for months, almost overnight! The KI and KIO3 market is very thin and current limited inventory will be quickly depleted in any nuclear emergency occuring anywhere in the world. (At www.ki4u.com we expect to be largely 'out of business' within days of any nuclear emergency simply because we'll be totally sold-out with no illusions of getting re-supplied again any time soon!)

Potassium Iodide (KI) and/or Potassium Iodate (KIO3) has already been stockpiled by most developed countries for future nuclear emergencies, they figured it out after Chernobyl, but here in the USA they've only just begun. (We sold 300,000 doses to HHS Office of Emergency Prepardness after 9/11, which represented half of our nations stockpile then.) However, very limited quantities will be available for individual purchase in the USA by the public after an 'event'. (Potassium Iodide (KI) has long been recognized and approved by the FDA for sale for this purpose without a prescription. Unfortunately, it is an over-the-counter (OTC) drug that's to be found on too few counters here in the USA!)

KI is currently available on the internet here.

P.S.- KI or KIO3 would likely not be needed for the so-called 'Dirty Bomb' or RDD (Radiological Dispersal Device). Radioactive Iodine is only produced in quantity by a fission or fusion weapon detonation or in a Nuclear Power Plant as a byproduct of that process. There is some small medical radioactive iodine, but it's impractical as a bomb component with its short half-life. An RDD simply spreads around existing radioactive material and it's not very likely to have been composed of the relatively short half-life radioactive iodine. We'd more likely see used in an RDD a commercially abundant, and more easily obtained, isotope like Cobalt-60, Cesium-137 or uranium fuel rods, etc.

See and read our latest report, detailing thyroid protection with KI from overseas fallout, here...
When An ill Wind Blows From Afar!







Q: What is Potassium Iodide (KI)?
A: Potassium Iodide (chemical name 'KI') is much more familiar to most than they might first expect. It is the ingredient added to your table salt to make it iodized salt.

Potassium Iodide (KI) is approximately 76.5% iodine.

For purposes of radiation protection the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) states in COMSECY-98-016 - FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE ON POTASSIUM IODIDE:


"In 1978, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found KI "safe and effective" for use in radiological emergencies and approved its over-the-counter sale."
Most recently (November, 2001) the FDA states in Potassium Iodide as a Thyroid Blocking Agent in Radiation Emergencies:

"FDA maintains that KI is a safe and effective means by which to prevent radioiodine uptake by the thyroid gland, under certain specified conditions of use, and thereby obviate the risk of thyroid cancer in the event of a radiation emergency."






Q: How Does Potassium Iodide (KI) Pill Provide Anti-Radiation Protection?
A: Going back to June 23, 1966, the New England Journal of Medicine. Vol. 274 on Page 1442 states:


"The thyroid gland is especially vulnerable to atomic injury since radioactive isotopes of iodine are a major component of fallout."
Cresson H. Kearny, the author of Nuclear War Survival Skills, Original Edition Published September, 1979, by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a Facility of the U.S. Department of Energy (Updated and Expanded 1987 Edition) states on page 111:


"There is no medicine that will effectively prevent nuclear radiations from damaging the human body cells that they strike.
However, a salt of the elements potassium and iodine, taken orally even in very small quantities 1/2 hour to 1 day before radioactive iodines are swallowed or inhaled, prevents about 99% of the damage to the thyroid gland that otherwise would result. The thyroid gland readily absorbs both non-radioactive and radioactive iodine, and normally it retains much of this element in either or both forms.

When ordinary, non-radioactive iodine is made available in the blood for absorption by the thyroid gland before any radioactive iodine is made available, the gland will absorb and retain so much that it becomes saturated with non-radioactive iodine. When saturated, the thyroid can absorb only about l% as much additional iodine, including radioactive forms that later may become available in the blood: then it is said to be blocked. (Excess iodine in the blood is rapidly eliminated by the action of the kidneys.)"

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) stated July 1, 1998 in USE OF POTASSIUM IODIDE IN EMERGENCY RESPONSE:


"Potassium iodide, if taken in time, blocks the thyroid gland's uptake of radioactive iodine and thus could help prevent thyroid cancers and other diseases that might otherwise be caused by exposure to airborne radioactive iodine that could be dispersed in a nuclear accident."
Federal Register. Vol. 43 Friday, December 15, 1978, states in Potassium Iodide as a Thyroid Blocking Agent in a Radiation Emergency:


"Almost complete (greater than 90%) blocking of peak radioactive iodine uptake by the thyroid gland can be obtained by the oral administration of ... iodide ..."
National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements. NCRP Report NO. 55. Protection of the Thyroid Gland in the Event of Releases of Radioiodine. August, 1979, Page 32:


"A major protective action to be considered after a serious accident at a nuclear power facility involving the release of radioiodine is the use of stable iodide as a thyroid blocking agent to prevent thyroid uptake of radioiodines."

The recently updated (1999) World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines for Iodine Prophylaxis following Nuclear Accidents states:


"Stable iodine administered before, or promptly after, intake of radioactive iodine can block or reduce the accumulation of radioactive iodine in the thyroid."
And, finally, the recently (November, 2001) released FDA document Potassium Iodide as a Thyroid Blocking Agent in Radiation Emergencies states:

"The effectiveness of KI as a specific blocker of thyroid radioiodine uptake is well established (Il'in LA, et al., 1972) as are the doses necessary for blocking uptake. As such, it is reasonable to conclude that KI will likewise be effective in reducing the risk of thyroid cancer in individuals or populations at risk for inhalation or ingestion of radioiodines."





Q: Is this the Magic Anti-Radiation Protection Pill?
A: Sorry, but there is no magic pill or medicine that will protect you from all radiation sources. In fact, as already stated above here:

"There is no medicine that will effectively prevent nuclear radiations from damaging the human body cells that they strike."
Also, the recently (November, 2001) released FDA document Potassium Iodide as a Thyroid Blocking Agent in Radiation Emergencies states:

"KI provides protection only for the thyroid from radioiodines. It has no impact on the uptake by the body of other radioactive materials and provides no protection against external irradiation of any kind. FDA emphasizes that the use of KI should be as an adjunct to evacuation (itself not always feasible), sheltering, and control of foodstuffs."
Potassium Iodide (and Potassium Iodate, KIO3) will provide a very high level of thyroid protection, taken in time, for the specific radio-isotopes of iodine, which is expected by many to cause the majority of health concerns downwind from a nuclear emergency. (And, is the reason most all developed countries have stockpiled it.)

However, there are numerous other, and very dangerous, radioactive noble gases and/or radioactive fallouts that can be associated with nuclear emergencies. You are still exposed to inhale, ingest, or be radiated externally from any number of dangerous non-radioiodine sources.

If you are ever directed to evacuate in a nuclear emergency, do so immediately, regardless of whether you have taken Potassium Iodide (KI) or KIO3, or not.

Note: KI or KIO3 would likely not be needed for the so-called "Dirty Bomb" or RDD (Radiological Dispersal Device). Radioactive Iodine is only produced by a fission or fusion weapon detonation or in a Nuclear Power Plant as a byproduct of that process. An RDD simply spreads around existing radioactive material and it's not very likely to have been composed of the relatively short half-life radioactive iodine. We'd more likely see used in an RDD a commercially abundant, and more easily obtained, isotope like Cobalt-60, Cesium-137 or uranium fuel rods, etc.





http://www.ki4u.com/#100

[Thornapple]

Here's the where to buy:
http://www.bigberkeywaterfilters.com/preparedness-products-c-71/potassium-iodate-tablets-p-196

[917601]

Up till the early 90's US law required all pharmacies to carry stocks to be issued FREE. Since the CDC and FDA got on board, they now ruled it as over the counter , buyable at any pharmacy- Walgreens, CVS, , Walmartetc...I have not checked it out as it is useless, if you are not sheltered to any radiation that exceeds 200 plus rads, you will die of radiation poisoning but have a nice looking thyroid gland.

[elroy]

Just got an email from Camping Survival, they are sold out of all potassium iodate products.

[917601]

Let's here the sheeple......bah, bah, bah, no Potassium Iodide here, no worries.Unbelievable.