Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Radiation leaks from Fukushima plant, US is trying to help, so is South Korea, iodine pill sales 5000 miles away.

Via NYT, a nice graphic showing the radiation leaks measured. I guess it depends upon your perspective -- if you're affected, it freaks you out; if you're not affected, you're concerned but not freaked out (unless you're paranoid and you live on the west coast of the US).

Kyodo News is reporting that the US will send a global hawk spy plane with infrared camera, to take a look at the Fukushima reactors. And via NHK World, the US is sending in its own radiation monitors, but so far, US is not advising people to leave Japan, unlike other nations. Although, US military is keeping its forces 50 miles away from the Fukushima plant.

Some Americans on the west coast are panicking, buying up iodine pills, apparently unaware of that many people have iodine allergies.

Apparently Japan doesn't have enough boric acid to help stop the fission process, so South Korea is sending as much as it can -- I don't know if that's good news or bad.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I just got a prescription for Potassium Iodide drops filled at Fred Meyer on Saturday 3/19. Potassium Iodide tablets were sold out at 4 stores I went to. The pharmacy took a week 5 days to fill a prescription. I was actively looking for the pills 24 hours after the incident in Japan. Remember how the Multnomah County Health Department administered the H1N1 vaccine? 300+ people waiting in line and sleeping overnight outside clinic doors. If the situation worsens and there are lethal plumes, I don't think the health department will be able to accommodate the demand. I feel less anxious when I prepare for and have contingency plans in place. P.S. I work for local government and know the culture of bureaucracy is slow to respond to a crisis.