Dear Preppers and Survivalists,
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illustration by
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
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They're Out There
Katniss and I are away from home learning about a new, potential, for us, business opportunity. It is ... (Ha, ha, ha, you thought I was going to tell you ; - )
Well, ... We met another couple named Ruth and Mickey. Needless to say, we got to talking, and Katniss outed me as a prepper. Bad news, since I try to keep a low profile about prepping.
You know, OPSEC, right (More about that in a few weeks)
It seems, they are preppers with a unique situation. They live near one of these United States' nuclear power plants. Needless to say, Ruth is concerned about an event involving the nuclear power station.
So, ... She and her husband store Potassium Iodide (KI)
Why?
Taking potassium iodide will protect a person from getting thyroid cancer after a nuclear event, like a nuclear plant accident, nuclear bomb explosion, or terrorist 'dirty' bomb.
Limits
Now, ... There are limits to using potassium iodide. It will only allow you, your partner, and your children to protect your thyroids from radiation. Potassium iodide does this be saturating the thyroid with iodine, preventing radioactive iodine from getting into the thyroid.
Potassium Iodide
Now, KI can be purchased several different ways.
You and your family can purchase pre-made potassium iodide tablets from several sources. These tablets 'if' taken properly will protect a family. Of course, they have a shelf life, so they have to be replaced every few years. Needless to say, like all shelf lives, they can be ignored, a little bit.
Another way is to purchase potassium iodide in powder form.
ACS, Reagent, USP, Pure, and ???
Chemicals are manufactured in different grades, some are a higher quality then other grades. To keep it simple, you and your family are looking for ACS, Reagent, or USP grade Potassium Iodide (KI).
ACS and Reagent grade are the same; the highest quality possible. USP grade is a lower grade, so it is only usable in foods and drugs.You and your family will want to avoid lab, pure, or technical grade Potassium Iodide (KI) because these grades may have impurities.
Preparation
Please understand, using potassium iodide in powder form is an expedient method for protecting your family's thyroids from radioactive iodine.
To use this method, you need a two ounce dark glass bottle with a solid, non-metallic (plastic) lid. Fill the bottle 60% full (about two ounces) with powder or granular potassium iodide then pour safe, room-temperature water into the bottle until it is about 90% full. Lastly, cap the bottle and shake, shake, shake.
Using
Of course, using pre-made potassium iodide tablets will require you and your family to follow the manufacturer's instructions.
To use the potassium iodide solution, that we just made, you need to follow the instructions from Nuclear War Survival Skills, which are ...
"The recommended expedient daily doses of a saturated solution (approximately 130 mg for adults and children older than one year, and 65 mg for babies younger than one year) are as follows:
* For adults and children older than one year, 4 drops of a saturated solution of potassium iodide each 24 hours.
* For babies younger than one year, 2 drops of a saturated solution of potassium iodide each 24 hours.
Potassium iodide has a painfully bad taste, so bad that a single crystal or 1 drop of the saturated solution in a small child's mouth would make him cry. (A small child would be screaming in pain before he could eat enough granular or crystalline KI to make him sick. Some KI tablets are coated and tasteless.) Since many persons will not take a bad tasting medication, especially if no short-term health hazards are likely to result from not taking it, the following two methods of taking a saturated solution are recommended:
* Put 4 drops of the solution into a glass of milk or other beverage, stir, and drink quickly. Then drink some of the beverage with nothing added. If only water is available, use it in the same manner.
* If bread is available, place 4 drops of the solution on a small piece of it; dampen and mold it into a firm ball the size of a large pea, about 3A inch in diameter. There is almost no taste if this "pill" is swallowed quickly with water. (If the pill is coated with margarine, there is no taste.)
As stated before, 4 drops of the saturated solution provide a dose approximately equal to 130 mg of potassium iodide.
The 'Test'
A few years ago, when I bought potassium iodide powder for my family's preps, I taste tested the Potassium Iodide (KI). To say it was terrible tasting is an understatement, so I tried the bread method. It wasn't too bad.
Lastly
Remember, potassium iodide only protects a family's thyroids and nothing else.
To protect your family from radiation, like an accident, nuclear explosion, or terrorist's 'dirty' bomb, you need to have distance or mass.
But, ... That's another article.
Prepper: Surviving the Tough Times Ahead
Of course, once Katniss outed me, she plugged the book, to make me feel better.
But, ... You know me. If you can't afford the e-book, you can always read '16 Weeks' for free ; - )
Link:
CDC - Potassium Iodide (KI)
https://emergency.cdc.gov/radiation/ki.asp
FDA - Frequently Asked Questions on Potassium Iodide (KI)
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/EmergencyPreparedness/BioterrorismandDrugPreparedness/ucm072265.htm
Wikipedia - Thyroid
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thyroid
Carolina - Chemical Grade Definitions from Highest to Lowest Purity
http://www.carolina.com/teacher-resources/Interactive/chemicals-by-grade/tr11072.tr
OISM - Nuclear War Survival Skills
http://www.oism.org/nwss/
OISM: NWSS - Chapter 13: Surviving Without Doctors
http://www.oism.org/nwss/s73p924.htm
USA Blue Book - Potassium Iodide‚ ACS Grade‚ 100 g
https://www.usabluebook.com/p-275604-potassium-iodide-acs-grade-100-g.aspx
GSiEP - 16 Weeks
https://gsiep.blogspot.com/2008/06/16-weeks.html
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