Why does the thyroid gland need protection after a nuclear leakage event? The thyroid hormone includes iodine and takes up and concentrates iodine from the bloodstream, and most nuclear leaks release radioactive iodine, which destroys thyroid cells and causes thyroid cancer. Infants and young children are most likely to develop thyroid cancer in such cases. What is potassium iodide? Potassium iodide is commonly used to iodize table salt. The thyroid gland can absorb potassium iodide, which prevents radioactive iodine from entering the thyroid gland. If potassium iodide is taken at the right time, it can prevent radioactive iodine from entering the thyroid. Potassium iodide is an over-the-counter medication and the common brands are IOSAT, Thyro-Block and ThyroSafe, these can be stored for up to five years. Storing it for too long will make it ineffective, but it is not harmful. Evidence that potassium iodide protects the thyroid: After the Chernobyl nuclear leak in 1986, the winds carried a radioactive cloud to Europe, adding three thousand cases of thyroid cancer in Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia. In Poland, potassium iodide was used to treat these people with no significant increase in thyroid cancer cases. When to take potassium iodide orally? The use of potassium iodide is determined and directed only by the local health authority, which is able to determine what kind of radioactive material has been leaked, but also whether or not it includes a radioactive iodine leak, when and for how long to take potassium iodide orally. Potassium iodide protects the thyroid gland from absorbing iodine 6-12 hours before exposure to radioactive iodine, and also protects in the first few hours of exposure, with a single daily dose taken the day before and the day after exposure. Note: Not all nuclear leaks release radioactive iodine. For example, a “dirty bomb” is unlikely to release iodine because of the short half-life. Recommended Dosage of Potassium Iodide: FDA-approved minimum dosage of potassium iodide: 130mg for adults, 65mg for ages 3-18 years, 32mg for infants 1 month old and children up to 3 years of age, and 16mg for newborns up to 1 month of age. Who is not a good candidate for Potassium Iodide? It is contraindicated if there is a severe allergy to iodine and should not be taken by people over 40 years of age unless they have been exposed to high levels of radioactive iodine.