Potassium Iodide: Protect Yourself from a Nuclear Disaster, Frequent Air Travel, and More.

 Written By: Ghostwriter

With the pending Nuclear Disaster in Japan we thought it would be most diligent to begin our blog with an article on Potassium Iodide (KI). This compound is not just useful during nuclear disasters though, if you fly a considerable amount, you may also want to consider Potassium Iodide (KI). Anyone near Japan or around the West Coast of the United States should pay close attention to this advice.

What is it:

Potassium Iodide (KI) is a naturally occurring crystalline substance. Many times the Iodized table salt in your home is Iodized with Potassium Iodide though at very low amounts.

What does it do:

Potassium Iodide (KI) when ingested in tablet form can protect the Thyroid from Radioactive Iodine. One of the most common results of a Nuclear Disaster is the release of Ionizing Radiation that was being used to generate power. Ionizing Radiation can, upon interacting with an atom, cause that atom to lose an electron or break apart it’s nucleus.(2) Ionizing Radiation is some of the same Radiation used in chemo-therapy when treating cancer patients. When released in high amounts, as found in nuclear power plants, the Radiation can be highly lethal as well as cause many cancers, especially thyroid cancer. As you can see in Picture 1 the person on the left ingested no (KI) and was not protected from Radiation, the person on the left did ingest (KI) and was protected. Picture 2 is a human Thyroid.

Other Instances of Radiation (Air Travel):

For those of you who may travel via air frequently for business or pleasure, you may want to consider the fact that airplanes and their passengers are exposed to Ionizing Radiation and Cosmic Radiation.The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 1994 admitted:

“Air carrier crewmembers are occupationally exposed to low doses of ionizing radiation from cosmic radiation […]” (1).

Ionizing Radiation is generally caused by  the Sun and / or supernovae. In 2003 the FAA makes another recommendation:

"For both of these groups [air personnel], exposure to ionizing radiation also leads to a risk of genetic defects in future generations. The FAA recommends limits for aircrews in their occupational exposure to ionizing radiation […]” (2). 

The FAA also says that when it comes to flying you should:

“Fly short flights at low latitudes. Short flights are fl own at lower altitudes than long-distance flights, hence there is more radiation shielding during short flights because of the greater amount of air above the aircraft.” (2)

Ionizing Radiation is measured in Sieverts. 1 Sievert = 1000 Millisieverts and 1 Millisiervert = 1000 microsieverts. (2)

“The FAA recommended limit for an aircrew member is a 5-year average effective dose of 20 millisieverts per year, with no more than 50 millisieverts in a single year.
For a pregnant aircrew member starting when she reports her pregnancy to management, the recommended limit for the conceptus is an equivalent dose of 1 millisievert, with no more than 0.5 millisievert in any month.”

The FAA graphs for Flight Time and Radiation Exposure can be found in this PDF, on pages 9 & 10: (2) http://www.faa.gov/library/reports/medical/oamtechreports/2000s/media/0316.pdf

So for example, if you made trips from New York to London twice per month for a full year you would be just under 1 millisiervert of Radiation on average. Having experienced just  2 millisierverts of Radiation in a lifetime can bring your chances of cancer to 1 in 13000 (2nd). So imagine what a life time of high-altitude flying can do to pilots, flight attendants, and frequent fliers. Potassium Iodide (KI) will decrease these individuals lifetime risk of thyroid cancer if they take a tablet on a regular basis.

Dosages:

United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommendations are as follows: (3)
 

Pregnant Women should use caution according to the US FDA:

“Pregnant women should be given KI for their own protection and for that of the fetus, as iodine (whether stable or radioactive) readily crosses the placenta. However, because of the risk of blocking fetal thyroid function with excess stable iodine, repeat dosing with KI of pregnant women should be avoided. Lactating females should be administered KI for their own protection, as for other young adults, and potentially to reduce the radioiodine content of the breast milk, but not as a means to deliver KI to infants, who should get their KI directly. As for direct administration of KI, stable iodine as a component of breast milk may also pose a risk of hypothyroidism in nursing neonates. Therefore, repeat dosing with KI should be avoided in the lactating mother, except during continuing severe contamination.” (3rd)

Downsides:

Potassium Iodide (KI) does not help to prevent cancer in any other areas besides the Thyroid, but is highly effective in protecting the Thyroid from Radiation and therefore should be used when exposed to Ionizing Radiation. Potassium Iodide (KI) can cause a couple of side effects including: swelling of the Parotid Gland (one of the three glands which secrete saliva), due to its stimulatory effects on saliva production (4), acne, loss of appetite, or upset stomach. Over dosages can cause fever, weakness, rash or  metallic taste in mouth. These side effects are rare but you should weigh the risks of radiation exposure against these side effects. (5)

Conclusion:

Potassium Iodide (KI) can be extremely useful when encountered with Ionizing Radiation, like that from Nuclear Disasters. It can also be useful if your employment or personal habits bring you in contact with Ionizing Radiation. A simple search on your favourite search engine can yield you with suppliers of Potassium Iodide (KI) which generally costs between  £10 and £20 ($15 - $30 USD) for 200 tablets. Please use your best judgment when considering use of  Potassium Iodide (KI) and do more research before taking our advice. Good Luck!

Sources:

(1.) http://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/aeromedical/media/ac120-61.pdf
(2.) http://www.faa.gov/library/reports/medical/oamtechreports/2000s/media/0316.pdf
(3.) http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidances/UCM080542.pdf
(4.) McCance; Huether. "Pathophysiology: The biological basis for disease in Adults and Children". 5th Edition. Elsievier Publishing  ( 5.) http://www.medicinenet.com/potassium_iodide-oral/article.htm

Images: (1). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_iodide  (2). http://women.webmd.com/picture-of-the-thyroid

(Legal Disclaimer: We assume no responsibility for any injuries related to this article. We are simply bringing you the information it is up to you how you use it.)