# radiation contamination **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 30, 2011, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radiation-contamination/576455 "2011-03-30T02:01:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dubyadd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@dubyadd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dubyadd)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radiation-contamination/576455/1 "2011-03-30T02:01:52Z")
😕can iodine from sea kelp tablets be used instead of potassium iodide to protect the thyroid from radiation contamination ? if so at what dosage? ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radiation-contamination/576455/2 "2011-03-30T02:14:27Z")
Centers for Disease Control Fact Sheet on[Radiation and Potassium Iodide (KI)](http://emergency.cdc.gov/radiation/japan/ki.asp) Note this from the link: > [@](#): > > **Key Facts** > > [ul] > [li]At this time, CDC does not recommend that people in the United States take KI or iodine supplements in response to the nuclear power plant explosions in Japan.[/li][li]You should only take KI on the advice of emergency management officials, public health officials, or your doctor.[/li][li]There are [health risks](http://emergency.cdc.gov/radiation/ki.asp#med) associated with taking KI.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![dubyadd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@dubyadd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dubyadd)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radiation-contamination/576455/3 "2011-03-30T02:32:53Z")
Duckster ,You are correct in your comment, but it is not what I asked. I already take sea kelp 300 mcg/day for a thyroid condition. And I live on the west coast, near a nuclear power plant that says it is protected from tidal waves, just like Japan said…hmmm. We can not depend on big gov’t to have an adequate supply on hand or be able to distribute in 30-180 minutes if there is a problem. SO, since I already have a large supply of sea kelp pills, do I need to go out and get KI pills, not to take but to have “ON HAND” ? ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radiation-contamination/576455/4 "2011-03-30T03:11:57Z")
You would do best to consult your doctor rather than seek specific medical advice from an anonymous message board. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radiation-contamination/576455/5 "2011-03-30T07:40:46Z")
If your iodide level is high anyhow, your uptake of additional iodide will be low and you will be at low risk due to exposure. PI is an additional precaution, and is probably better targeted at children and teenagers. Chernobyl was unusual in that regard, with a local diet lower than average in iodide and no PI distribution. In addition, exposure to radioactive iodine as an adult has minimal impact on the development of thyroid-related disease - this is not the case for children, though. The following is from the wikipedia article on Iodine-131, which reflects other information sources I have heard over the past few weeks, including a couple of excellent BBC Radio 4 shows (Material World). [QUOTE=wikipedia] The risk of thyroid cancer in later life appears to diminish with increasing age at time of exposure. Most risk estimates are based on studies in which radiation exposures occurred in children or teenagers. **When adults are exposed, it has been difficult for epidemiologists to detect a statistically significant difference in the rates of thyroid disease above that of a similar but otherwise unexposed group**. The risk can be mitigated by taking iodine supplements, raising the total amount of iodine in the body and therefore reducing uptake and retention in tissues and lowering the relative proportion of radioactive iodine. Unfortunately, such supplements were not distributed to the population living nearest to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant after the disaster, though they were widely distributed to children in Poland. [/QUOTE] Si