Potassium Iodide, Fukishima, Uncle Sam, and you.

Via email | 4/12/12 | A trusted colleague

[null and void]

I received a copy of this email today from a trusted source:

Saul,

There is a little discussed chance that ALL the spent fuel rods at the Fukushima reactor accident site (4 reactors) might catch fire from a 70% within a year, probable NEW earthquake at the site in Japan.

An earthquake will topple (or crack) the exposed to air, spent fuel (water) pools, resulting in complete loss of remaining critical cooling water in the pools, causing radioactive fires of the fuel rods in the spent fuel pools, emitting 85 times the radionucleides emitted from the total of the Chernobyl accident.

Remember that radiation from Chernobyl covered large parts of Europe. Take that area and multiply by 85x or far far more....

Here (North America) if this occurs at Fukushima (it is purposely not disclosed in Western press) which it likely will occur, due to frequency of earthquakes hitting Japan ALL the time, then the airborne radiation released uncontrollably from nuclear fuel fires will mess up Asia, and travel likely 1st to the pacific coast of North America. It will not stop there either as this level of airborne fallout will encircle much of the earth over time.

I recently heard in the news that there was a HUGE order of potassium iodide pills tendered by the US government. Initially I thought this strange but I thought due to the potential attack of the Iran nuclear facilities, for troop protection in the region against nutty crazy Iranians.

Today I learned of the actual present status of Fukushima accident site, in considerable depth, and it is far far far worse than anyone ever thought possible (sitting on a precipice of world radiation catastrophe of likely possible fuel fires at the site) All the fuel in the reactors across the site have melted entirely through at least several of the containment vessels, depositing the molten uranium metal into the earth below the concrete seondary containment vessels (buildings), and is the likely cause of continued seepage of high radiation into the ocean that occurs unabated as yet. But miniscule compared to what might happen if the spent fuel pool fuel rods burn (likely to burn).

Potassium iodide is used in event of large scale radiation releases (which include radioactive Iodine 131 isotope - which if ingested or inhaled, kills all function of the thyroid - a critical gland for human body function)

Potassium iodide pills BLOCK uptake of radioactive iodine 131 (emitted in airborne radioactive chemicals in a nuclear accident) and save the thyroid from destruction in exposure to fallout..

The apparent magnitude of the US Federal government tender for massive amounts of Potassium Iodide pills indicates these actual "risks" are inevitable, and also indicates that within the US federal government it is well known that the probability of a huge radioactive fire at Fukushima, releasing persistent long half life radiation into large areas across the globe will in all likelihood occur within 2 years or less. (it can happen at any time if an earthquake breaks the spent fuel pools remaining water seals)

For reference, the amount of likely airborne radiation likely to be released if the Fukushima spent fuel pools burn is 1/2 of that released from all manmade explosions and accidents since nuclear technology was developed by man over all history (since 1940s till today) from all sources, but likely to be emitted in the course of weeks, if fires break out at the spent fuel pools at the site.

Please do not talk about the technical specifics to Mom. Just try to get these pills ...

Please do try to procure a supply of these pills for Carla and Michael (you and mom too, but they have many years ahead of them) I think they are available by prescription but you might have to try to order by mail order on the internet.

The remaining actual risks at Fukushima are unprecedented due to the huge extensive structural damage at the site particularly in the spent fuel pools barely hanging on, teetering in fact. Once they crack from an earthquake it is likely game over (possibly for safe habitation for much of the world due to airborne fallout of the likely worlds largest atmospheric release of radioactivity ever)

I am actually going to try to write a longer blog post about this, in coming weeks as more folks need to understand what is presently not properly reported, and is a huge risk to world health if this occurs

(quite probable, as the structural stabilization of the severely damaged spent fuel pools at Fukishima contain about ?6000 tons of highly radioactive fuel exposed directly to the atmosphere (no cover but for water remaining presently)

If the water in the pools is lost due to an inevitable Japanese earthquake, before the spent fuel pools are reinforced (scheduled? within 2> (more likely) 3 years, the magnitude of worldwide nuclear fallout contamination will be incomprehensible.

Sadly because of my physics background in my degree from Carnegie Mellon, I understand the details and gravity of the situation too well.

I think he is overstating the risk, but no harm in having potassium iodide on hand, if you can find it.

[chimera]

That is almost all 100%, pure, unadulterated FUD. Don't believe a word of it. As far as KI goes, it is a thyroid blocker. It is only good if there is a release of radioiodine from a fission source that was active very recently. Anything in the SFPs will have decayed to the point of having essentially no 131I.

Treat KI as you would any dietary supplement. There are risks to ingesting it that outweigh any risk from non-exposure to 131I. Allergic reaction to KI is rare, but not unknown. The numbers I have seen from various epidemiology studies range anywhere from 0.5 to 2 reactions per million exposed. If you are prone to allergic reactions to dietary supplements, things like salt substitutes, I would check with your doctor before stocking it for future use.

[FreedomOfExpression]

There's a story in the Bible about Babalonian King Nebuchanezer(sp)going crazy and grazing in the fields for the rest of his life like the beasts of the field. <.P>

Daniel chapter 4 says that Nebuchadnezzar was crazy like a fox or bull or something for seven times, or seven years, then his sanity returned to him.
He may well have enjoyed a field of dandelions during that time.

[Quix]

PING to OP article.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Does kelp work?

[dennisw]

Cheapest seller of KI and yes I have some. Honorable seller with 100% rating. Buy the Lugol’s solution it will do the trick.
Lugol’s solution, 4 fl. oz., 2.2% iodine $14.95
Free Shipping
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lugols-solution-4-fl-oz-2-2-iodine-/320674963885?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aa9b7a1ad#ht_689wt_1135

http://www.ebay.com/sch/the_full_orchestra/m.html
here is his KI if you want it
1/2 fl. oz. SSKI w/dropper bottle (potassium iodide)

[dennisw]

“Does kelp work?”

Not strong enough. You want an over abundance of iodine in your body ASAP if Fukishima radioactive particles reaches you via winds. I would worry more if I lived on the West Coast

[SierraWasp]

Geeze dennis, ya oughta make a “Killin!” (grin)

[dennisw]

That is almost all 100%, pure, unadulterated FUD. Don't believe a word of it. As far as KI goes, it is a thyroid blocker. It is only good if there is a release of radioiodine from a fission source that was active very recently. Anything in the SFPs will have decayed to the point of having essentially no 131I.

If the spent fuel rods started spewing next month what radioactive elements would it be sending here via the wind?

[class8601_nuke]

it’s not the potassium, it’s the iodine. Iodine will go to your thyroid and prevent the radioactive Iodine from the reactor from depositing there.

[READINABLUESTATE]

Just wondering, if you can’t get the pills is there a method to use a diluted tincture of iodine in it’s place?

[null and void]

I think that would depend on what solvent is used in the tincture. I’d be hesitant to try it with tinctures in methyl (wood) alcohol.

[null and void]

Does kelp work?

Dunno. I've read reports of detectable levels of Fukushima radiation in California kelp.

OTOH we can detect levels far, far below hazardous levels.

[RBStealth]

Chernobyl was unique their rods had infused carbon in them.
So they reacted with heat and air and burned violently into the air. Such a widespread dissemination scenario is not entirely replicable anymore due to different rod construction. KI tablets are good, but have age restrictions. Over 40 years or so , no need and other age qualifications for dosage restrictions,children etc. Not so simple as some of the literature pertaining to them indicates.

[dennisw]

Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens

[chimera]

Very, very little. Longer-lived fission product forms include things like 137Cs and 90Sr. Both are mobile in the environment because they are soluble. But that means they are much, much more likely to wash out locally that blow across 12,000 miles of open ocean.

[chimera]

That's nothing. When I was at the CAMS facility at Livermore we were detecting plutonium deposited in carpenter's nails from the Trinity test. The nails were taken out of abandoned structures in NM and southern CO. Other plutonium was being detected from the tests at Eniwetok and Bikini in coral samples taken from that area. That goes back to the 1950s. Last I checked, we were all still here and alive, even though there was detectable plutonium in the environment from those weapons tests (note, weapons, not Fukushima, you can tell weapons grade plut from reactor plut). Point is, we can do very sensitive measurements of things liken this, at levels far, far, far, far, far below any that even might remotely cause any harm.

[TheOldLady]

Click the Drop!

It may seem like a drop in the ocean
But even small monthly donations
Will keep Free Republic running smoothly

Sponsors will contribute $10
every time a new monthly donor signs up

[JudgemAll]

Sure did. I got also double the max RAI dose for destruction of thyroid. Last I checked on ultrasounds the remnant of the thing was tiny.

[JudgemAll]

I was told to also buy calcium tablets made from corral because it would block accumulation of strontium in the bones and prevent bone cancer. Anyone know about this?

[dennisw]

Super appreciate your information! I still have Lugol’s around for other things but looks like Fukishima will not be one of them