Re: KI Inquiry

["William G. Nabor" <wgnabor@uci.edu>]

     Can somebody on Radsafe explain why we use KI as a thyroid blocking
agent?  It is my understanding that the adverse reaction is to the
potassium, not the iodine.  Is this correct?  If so, why don't we use NaI?
I asume that there is a reason because the table salt makers use KI, too.
In other words, why don't we just grind up a few old gamma detector crystals
and feed them to people, or does the increased sodium intake increase the
risk of heart disease and stroke?
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William G. Nabor
University of California, Irvine
EH&S Office
Irvine, CA,  92697-2725
WGNABOR@UCI.EDU
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