I'm in Beijing, 1,300 miles from Tokyo. Do I need to worry about radiation if the winds shift?

[HEyHEY]

If so, what kind of precautions and safety measures are there to take? Iodine pills?

[snagglepuss]

1. Potassium iodine. The CDC has page for radiation/ fallout preparations.

Doses posted yesterday. Hope it helps.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=439&topic_id=644085

[midnight]

2. K&R... Stay safe...

[frazzled]

3. The biggest danger is not from inhaling radioactive iodine

According to an article in today's NY Times, that's a myth. It falls to the ground; cows eat it and make milk with radioactive iodine. 98% of people's exposure comes from milk and dairy products. Produce can also become contaminated.

So taking an iodine pill isn't going to help you. Don't drink any milk from Japan (as if you would, or such a thing exists). 1300 miles is a long way.

[originalpckelly]

4. The general trend for winds across the Earth is west to east.

That doesn't mean low level winds don't change, but you're probably OK. Though, I'd suggest potassium iodide. Make sure it's that, and not regular iodine, because the iodine will not help you.

People in the US are freaking, but it's probably unfounded. I'm guessing that over the long distance to either you or the US it will fall out.

[JVS]

5. Large doses of peaty Scotch whisky, with that iodine/medicinal flavor.

Try to get your hands on Laphroaig.

;-)

Take potassium iodine like people are telling you in this thread. I don't know if you'd need it, but it doesn't hurt. Also, you might want to buy a supplement for calcium, magnesium, potassium, etc. because usually the way that nasty radioactive isotopes get into the body is by being absorbed to fill in for something else. For example workers in radium factories suffered a lot of bone cancer because the radium was absorbed into their body and processed like calcium. So it doesn't hurt to make sure that your body has good material already.

[HEyHEY]

6. Thank god my mom sent me tums in my christmas package!