I also think that, what with the happenings in japan that this thread should be revived. I will contribute in this manner:

Wouldn't they be advising them to take pills to withstand iodine? I don't understand why they would want to take iodine if there's iodine radiation in the air. That'll just give them thyroid cancer.

No, that was three mile island. The people in Japan are extremely competent.


the only thing in your body that can process iodine is your thyroid. That's why thyroid cancer is such a huge risk when radiation is ejected into the air. Interestingly enough, if you have a thyroid disease there's a new pretty safe procedure that has you swallow radioactive iodine, which eats away at your thyroid and reverses the issue (that is, an overactive thyroid aka hyperthyroidism). Its much safer than to be put under the knife, because there's no threat of things such as infections, and doctors are pretty good at controlling the dose. Worse case scenario you force yourself into hypothyroidism, which is controllable with medication. Hyperthyroidism means you have to take medication anyways, so really if its chronic it might be worth the risk.

Anyways by giving iodine to them, it is my understanding that they hope the body starts rejecting and flushing the radioactive iodine. Iodine by itself is not radioactive.

The iodine pills are of non-radioactive iodine which saturates the thyroid... Since the thyroid is now full, the radioactive iodine will no longer accumulate there, thus preventing thyroid cancer.

Also, this: http://xkcd.com/radiation/