Well, they were high even down to Tokyo in the water supply for at least a year following the Tsunami. And the Japanese government does not allow talking about it, btw, so the general public there is kept uninformed.
I sure hope they have gone down by now! Iodine liquid over the thyroid if you need it (do an iodine skin patch test) can help prevent negative effects from whatever's left over.
Is there not a risk of actually shutting the thyroid off? I believe that occurs if one takes more than the recommended dose.
Iirc the iodine prevents the radiation from accumulating there.
https://emergency.cdc.gov/radiation/ki.aspA single dose of KI (potassium iodide) protects the thyroid gland for 24 hours. A one-time dose at recommended levels is usually all that is needed to protect the thyroid gland.
In some cases, people can be exposed to radioactive iodine for more than 24 hours. If that happens, public health or emergency management officials may tell you to take one dose of KI (potassium iodide) every 24 hours for a few days.
Avoid repeat dosing with KI (potassium iodide) for pregnant and breastfeeding women and newborn infants.
https://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/faqs/ki.htmlThe recommended daily dosage for an adult is 130 milligrams. If the thyroid absorbs all the iodine that it needs from the nonradioactive KI, then the radioactive iodine will not be absorbed and will be eliminated from the body mostly by way of the urine. Reducing the amount of radioiodine absorbed in the thyroid will reduce the dose received by the thyroid, thereby reducing the risks of thyroid cancer. Even though there have been minimal side effects (e.g., gastrointestinal effects or rashes) from the use of KI, this substance should only be taken on the advice of health care providers. Again, KI will only help reduce the effects of radioiodine taken into the body and not from other radionuclides.
