All Belgians to get iodine pills' in case of nuclear accident

"Last week Germany asked that the 40-year-old Tihange 2 and Doel 3 reactors be turned off "until the resolution of outstanding security issues".

https://www.yahoo.com/news/belgians-iodine-pills-case-nuclear-accident-114919526.html?ref=gs

A good measure for sure...why give them an opportunity with the risk so high.

Please excuse my infancy and ignorant to the subject what does Iodine do to help with nuclear Stuff

Dragonfly said:

Please excuse my infancy and ignorant to the subject what does Iodine do to help with nuclear Stuff

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Potassium iodide helps prevent some of the damaging effects of radiation. The thyroid gland in the neck is one of the most sensitive organs in the body to radiation. Exposure to high levels of radiation — as occurs during a nuclear plant meltdown — can lead to thyroid cancer. The thyroid uses iodine normally to make thyroid hormone. The radiation from a nuclear event releases radioactive iodine into the air. When the radioactive iodine enters the body, the thyroid quickly scoops it up. Taking potassium iodide pills temporarily stops the thyroid. If taken prior to radiation exposure, the iodine pills counter the effect of the radioactive iodine on the thyroid. This helps prevent the development of thyroid cancer down the road. Usually, only one dose of potassium iodide is needed since a single dose protects the thyroid gland for 24 hours — assuming you remove yourself from the exposure area. It’s important to note that potassium iodide pills protect only the thyroid. They don’t prevent your body from taking in the radiation and don’t help prevent radiation damage to other parts of the body.

A big concern is with dirty bombs and what types of radiation exposure is determined by the following limitations.

• the amount of radiation absorbed by the body;
• the type of radiation (gamma, beta, or alpha);
• the distance from the radiation to an individual;
• the means of exposure-external or internal (absorbed by the skin, inhaled, or ingested); and the length of time exposed.
  

In your case of living in remote eastern Oregon, the issue is negligible in prepping for a dirty bomb as most strategic theorist and intelligence analysts predict the likelihood that a terrorist using a dirty bomb will choose a city by applying the population concentration and close proximately of blast site. In the case of a nuclear meltdown at a nuclear plant, really iodine pills are pretty worthless and of course you are limited to the treatment dosage.

One of the misunderstanding about potassium iodide is that it can be used for long term needs (wrong), it's an escape pill that no one should take more than 3 pills in a 72hr period and not beyond. Also, with a recently formed consensus people over the age of 40 doesn't need to take it, I haven't read the grounds for that consensus though from my understanding radioactive iodine poisoning affects the young more so than older adults. I would be more concerned with all the other radiation coming from the fallout than radioactive iodine at my age given that radioactive iodine poisoning generally gets folks later in life, reckon that's why the young should be protecting the thyroid in the event of an radioactive situation unlike other radiation poisoning that generally has an immediate profound effect if exposed to the elements.

I can't agree more with Maverick. When considering the options, here are the two that you must be most concerned with Alpha and Beta radiation. These are typically associated with fallout. Alpha and Beta are the main inhalation and skin hazards, so to protect you from these two issues, the above suggestions, should be considered immediately, provided you have a CBRNE rated mask. A good mask will run you about $200 and a normal CBRNE cartridge will run about $40 a piece. CBRNE filters are rated for both Nuclear, Biological and Chemical. In the case if Chemical, you should consider two filter cartridges since if one gets over saturated or direct chemical is splashed, you want to immediately change out. The main concern with any inhalation of said radioactive particle is that once it is in your systemic part of the human body, you must consider support therapy for Acute Radiation Sickness. This is extremely fatal and rarely does one recover if the exposure exceed human tolerance (which measure 6-30 gy or 600-3000 rads). In this case, patients will observe gatro related illnesses (lack of appetite, diarrhea, etc.) As for Beta burns...you have to immediately consider sheltering as these are just as bad as Alpha particles that will cause skin burns. Of the two Hades, Alpha is the worst.

If near the release site, Gamma would be the other to consider.

For my family, we have three different types of CBRNE masks. I have the typical MSA approved mask M-40's and MCU-2P, which are rated for field use. I additionally have four PAPR/cartridge masks, these give me some additional purposes and also provide overpressure around the seals. Lastly, I have a filter/line mask, this hooks up to attached airline hose, which provides overpressure, but is self limiting because the line is constricting the operator distance.

I understand that this is off the original post, please see some other discussions regarding masks. I know their are many different opinions, but I've been using them professionally in my work for close to 30 years now.

Maverick said:

"Last week Germany asked that the 40-year-old Tihange 2 and Doel 3 reactors be turned off "until the resolution of outstanding security issues".

https://www.yahoo.com/news/belgians-iodine-pills-case-nuclear-accident-114919526.html?ref=gs

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Okay, I don't get this. Germany wants Belgium to shut down two aging power plants on the border. They are old, cracking, and leaking. In other words, a hazard. In response, Belgium decides to issue the iodine pills to it's population, "just in case". But yet, they refuse to shut down the reactors.

Given the replies here, an iodine pill's effectiveness is negligible, and doesn't protect from all forms of radiation. So, what's the point of distributing them? Why doesn't Belgium just shut down the plants and eliminate the danger?

It just seems kind of stupid to me. Like putting a band-aid on a bleeding-out knife wound.

melissa7 said:

Okay, I don't get this. Germany wants Belgium to shut down two aging power plants on the border. They are old, cracking, and leaking. In other words, a hazard. In response, Belgium decides to issue the iodine pills to it's population, "just in case". But yet, they refuse to shut down the reactors.

Given the replies here, an iodine pill's effectiveness is negligible, and doesn't protect from all forms of radiation. So, what's the point of distributing them? Why doesn't Belgium just shut down the plants and eliminate the danger?

It just seems kind of stupid to me. Like putting a band-aid on a bleeding-out knife wound.

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It is negligible in the since that the majority of buyers are purchasing iodine pill's for the wrong reasons without knowing the limitations, they are a good idea to have on hand if young one's are around though the limitations need to be known and the very specific reason for it's usage, there is also a chance that they may develop a reaction to the pill

think it's old history,Belgians don't wanna be told by Germans what to do