Iodine. Is it effective against radiation in the event of a nuclear accident?

Published date 18/10/2022

Finland is one of the countries that has already asked the population to purchase potassium iodide pills (iodine salt that prevents the absorption of radioactive iodine through the thyroid), to prevent the appearance of cancer or other lesions in the gland thyroid. Finnish pharmacies are already out of stock.
On the other hand, Poland has established free distribution points for potassium iodide.
Spain is also stockpiling potassium iodide, with the excuse that it is renewing the stock that was about to expire. Is it really true? Or is there real concern about an imminent nuclear attack?

How does potassium iodide work and what is it for?

The thyroid gland is located in the throat, and is essential for metabolism, because it produces hormones that control everything from heartbeat to calorie consumption. This gland is vulnerable to the development of cancer.
Juan Carlos Galofré, an expert at the Clínica Universidad de Navarra (CUN) and member of the Thyroid Area of the Spanish Society of Endocrinology and Nutrition (TiroSEEN) explains that when there is radioactivity in the environment, instead of absorbing normal iodine through the food to perform its functions, this gland "incorporates the radioactive, which can cause cancer in the future."
Actually, if a person is exposed to radioactivity, he can develop any type of cancer and in various parts of the body. But, given the appearance of a radioactive cloud, the way to prevent radioactive iodine from entering the thyroid and developing a tumor in this gland is to previously fill it with normal iodine. The idea is quite simple: if it is already saturated with the harmless version of this iodine, there will be no place for it to take in the radioactive element and it would not be seriously affected.
"It is a preventive treatment and that is why it is recommended to take these tablets only in case of possible danger."
However, it must be taken into account that the radioactive iodine would pass into the water and from the water to the crops, and therefore, to the vegetables; Animals eat these vegetables and eventually radioactive iodine will even be detected in the milk we consume.
Therefore, the detrimental effects remain over time and for this reason the administration of potassium iodide is justified, it is not a matter of protecting oneself only at the moment, but of protecting oneself in the long term.
According to the WHO (World Health Organization) the entire population is susceptible to thyroid cancer, but those over forty years of age have less life expectancy.

Through food we obtain the iodine our body needs. Although it is generally recommended to include little salt in our diet, a small amount of iodized salt is one of the best ways to get iodine.

So, what would happen in Spain in the event of a radioactive emergency? 

If there was a real danger, the health authorities would have to assess the situation and take charge of providing these tablets to the population. According to the BOE of January 21, 2022, the Defense Pharmacy Military Center is in charge of manufacturing and supplying these tablets, as well as removing those that have expired. This body, based in Colmenar Viejo (Madrid), belongs to the Ministry of Defense and now carries out this work within a collaboration agreement with the Ministry of the Interior. In addition, it is also routinely responsible for supplying Spanish nuclear power plants with this product.

The normal dose of iodine that we all consume daily and that we consume through food, would be between 150 and 200 micrograms per day for an adult. In children, between 90 and 120 micrograms per day.

These amounts have nothing to do with those given in the form of potassium iodide tablets prepared for nuclear accidents. Instead of micrograms, they are measured in milligrams, as we can see in the table published by the WHO.

According to the OMS (World Health Organization) the necessary doses of iodine in the event of a nuclear accident and by age are:

Recommended single dose of stable iodine according to age group:

If we study the table carefully, we realize that the necessary doses in the case of nuclear radiation are much higher than what we can find in the potassium iodide medicines available in the pharmacy. As a pharmacist and currently active in a community pharmacy, I would like to point out that the medicines that are sold in the pharmacy and with their corresponding sanitary registration, are prescribed by a doctor, indicated for pregnancy and have nothing to do with preventive use in the event of a nuclear accident.

We must be careful with the sensationalist news that states that the WHO recommends the consumption of iodine in the event of a nuclear accident, although it is true that it does not recommend any iodine. As indicated by the BOE, if necessary, only the iodine that the Military Pharmacy serves the population serves to prevent the toxicity of radioactivity, since only this has the dose indicated by the WHO.

There are brands of food supplements on the market that already had iodine, but there are other laboratories that, since the conflict between Russia and Ukraine began, have launched iodine supplements on the market, with the sole objective of increasing sales. These food supplements do not serve as a defense against a nuclear accident, since they do not have the necessary milligrams of iodine.

Photo: Wikipedia.