Put Down the Potassium Iodide; County Says No Risk of Radiation From Japan

With potassium iodide disappearing from store shelves on the West Coast, the state and the Santa Clara County Public Health Department issued a notice to allay fears of danger from windblown radiation coming from the crippled nuclear power plant in northern Japan.

While Friday's quake and the resulting tsunami knocked out the reactors' cooling systems, and Japanese authorities so far have not been able to bring the disaster under control, U.S. and California health officials say the exposure level is localized.

"Distance is our friend," the county health department said in a statement Wednesday. "Given the thousands of miles between us and Japan, we do not expect to find any harmful levels of radioactivity in our state."

Health officials are monitoring the situation and said they will issue warnings if conditions change.

And, the county notice said, "potassium iodide tablets are not needed and not recommended." Reports of a run on potassium iodide tablets have left some drug stores and health food shelves empty.

The health department said people could do more harm to themselves by taking potassium iodide if they have a medical condition—or were unaware of an undiagnosed condition.

"It is important to know that taking potassium iodide may be harmful for some people, particularly those with a thyroid disease and those who are allergic to it," the county statement said. "If you have a seafood or shellfish allergy—it can mean that you are allergic to potassium iodide."

Potassium iodide tablets are supposed to work by saturating the thyroid gland with non-toxic iodide compounds so that there is no room left for the gland to absorb the radioactive material.

Use of potassium iodide, however, "could have potential serious side effects such as abnormal heart rhythms, nausea, vomiting, electrolyte abnormalities and bleeding," according to the California Department of Public Health.

The state health department also has published a  "Frequently Asked Questions" list about radiation, citing the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

State and federal experts and authorities agree that the current level of radiation being released, while above what is normally accepted, is a threat to only the people in the vicinity of the nuclear power plant in Japan, the county website said.

On a national level, technology is being used to enhance preparedness should the situation change.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency  said Tuesday it is installing additional radiation monitors in the Western United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, and in Guam. The agency has monitors already in place in California, including one in San Francisco, whose readings are accessible to the public at epa.gov/cdx.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is working with the U.S. Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the California Emergency Management Agency. State and federal agencies conduct weekly air tests at 10 sites around California. These and other tests (food and water are tested monthly) are used to determine if any unusual spikes or increases in radiation have occurred. CDPH is also looking at the timing and frequency of its testing as the situation in Japan continues.

The county health department also reassured residents that California's response plan "for radiological emergencies includes access to the national stockpile of potassium iodide, which would be recommended for those at highest risk of illness."

Those wishing more or continuing information should check the California Department of Public Health website or call the public information hotline at 916-341-3947.