You need to take KI before or just after you are exposed to radioiodine. You can also take it 3 or 4 hours later, but it will not be as helpful.
If there is an emergency, you will hear an announcement from your local or state health officials. Your local health department will tell you when you should start taking KI and they will also tell you when you can stop taking it. KI will only protect you from radioactive iodine. It does not protect you from other kinds of radioactive material. KI works very well to protect your thyroid gland.
However, it protects only your thyroid, not other parts of your body. You will be told what, if any, actions you should take to protect yourself. In general, most people who have taken KI have not had any reactions side effects.
If people did have a reaction, it did not last very long. In a few cases, babies had a reaction in their thyroids. Adults who had reactions had stomach problems or a rash. The federal government thinks the benefits of taking KI are much greater than the risks.
Most people can take KI, but you should talk to your doctor before taking it. Talk to your doctor before an emergency occurs. It is not a good idea to take KI if you have certain medical conditions or problems. Babies need to be watched carefully if they take KI. The table below shows the smallest KI dose that different age groups can take which will protect the thyroid. KI comes in liquid, mg tablets and mg tablets. Since it is hard to cut many pills, the State Health Commissioner says that, in an emergency, it is safe for children at school or day care centers to take the whole pill.
Nuclear power plant licensees are required to ensure that KI pills are pre-distributed to individuals living or working near a nuclear power plant. It also requires the nuclear operator, Ontario Power Generation, Bruce Power and the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories except for Amherstburg , to provide resources to their municipalities. Since the initial start-up of the plant in , KI pills have been provided to all residences within 20 km of the station, known as the longer-term protective zone LPZ.
This has now been extended to schools Fundy Shores and Pennfield elementary schools. Residents receive an information pamphlet on KI pills that is distributed door to door. In addition to residences, there are several KI stockpile locations within 50 km of the nuclear generating station. There has also been a modification for the KI pill distribution regulations at the Gentilly-2 plant in Quebec. After evaluating radiological risk, Gentilly-2 no longer represents a risk to surrounding populations , following decommissioning projects that have taken place since This means that KI pills are not a requirement.
In fact, previously eligible citizens are now encouraged to dispose of the KI pills that they have in stock. Skip to main content Skip to footer. Do not take KI pills unless you are instructed to do so by public health officials.
The pills work best when taken immediately before or as soon as possible after exposure. Taking the pills too far in advance will not provide any health benefit. What is the Recommended Dose of Potassium Iodide? The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission CNSC , the regulator over the use of radioactive material in Canada, provides the following table of doses for people, depending on their age and whether or not they are pregnant.
If the medical Officer of Health has directed people around a nuclear power plant to take potassium iodide, the following table includes the recommended dose to take, along with the timing of doses. If radioactive iodine is released from a nuclear power plant during a major emergency, eventually that airborne material will settle out onto the ground.
If the radioactive iodine settles out onto pasture, for example, which is then consumed by animals, the animals can ingest the radioactive iodine into their bodies. People who then consume the animal or products from that animal e. Administration of potassium iodide at thyroid blocking doses is generally only performed in the short-term to protect personnel from exposure to radioactive iodine when it is airborne, during the timeframe when there is a chance for persons to breathe in the radioactive-iodine-contaminated air.
This period would generally last only about hours. Protection of people during the later stages of the response to such a nuclear emergency, including the response to contaminated land, will be extensive and food control measures will be implemented. Potassium iodine consumption after the initial response is not recommended. Potassium iodide pills ONLY protect against thyroid-related health consequences due to the exposure of persons to radioactive iodine. Find more information about Radiation Safety on our Blog.
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