Potassium iodide for protection against radioactive iodine
September 16, 2010

According to the Gaston Gazette, the local health departments in the counties of Gaston, Mecklenburg, and Lincoln (North Carolina) are handing out potassium iodide tablets. These pills are being given to people who stay within a 10-mile radius of McGuire Nuclear Station, which is located in Mecklenburg county.

Individuals are told not to take the tablets, unless a public health official informs them to do so. In the meanwhile, they are to be kept in a dry place, as would be done with other medications. Potassium iodide reportedly lasts for about five years.

What's the relation to the nuclear plant? Should there be an accident, potassium iodide has the potential to absorb radioactive iodine. This can decrease the incidence of thyroid cancer and other problems that such radiation might bring on.

People within a 10-mile radius of Catawba Nuclear Station, found in York county (South Carolina) also have the opportunity to obtain these pills.