I understand your concern. But ....
There is a POTENTIAL for release of SOME radioactive gasses from the Japanese power plants. Right now, there has been NO release of radioactive gasses from those plants. No radioactive gasses (in Japan) means no gasses flowing out across the western Pacific, across the mid-pacific (HI) and then the eastern Pacific (CA, OR, Washington state). Then they’d have to flow across the rest of the states to where you are. All the while they are decaying and they are being diluted with tens of trillions of tons of inert material - other gasses and materials. Much ionized material - and radiation naturally ionizes the little bitty flecks of dirt (solids) these condensed gasses and radioactive material into the ocean. Where it goes away.
The radioactive “chains” of decay products are tricky: What starts as a gas can turn into a solid, which might decay into another gas, which decays into a gas, which decays into a solid, etc. Etc. sometimes....
In any case, the radioactive material is INSIDE the containment domes - that’s why they are there! - and the levels - while high inside the dome - are NOT a danger outside the dome.
The potassium iodide tablets are used to vastly “OVERLOAD” your (kids’) thyroids with massive overdoses of iodide internally so the (very few) external radioactive iodide flowing through the air from Japan in this case - are not absorbed in your kid’s thyroid.
So, do you want to overdose their thyroids for no reason? Just keep the pills. Out of their body until radiation levels exceed limits here.
Thanks Robert A. Cook, PE.
Ah, Robert, a voice of reason.
I would say the same thing. This just protects the thyroids of young ones against future cancer risk in the event of catastrophic radiation. It’s not a cure all protect all for radiation. And from what I understand, they taste absolutely disgusting. Many people can’t even get them down.
If you are over 40, your risk of dying from Iodine allergy is higher than cancer from the thyroid.