Re: Potassium Iodide -Reply

[Schoenhofer <schoenho@via.at>]

At 16:44 09.07.1998 -0500, you wrote:
>I am faraway from discussion, but I believe I saved my family well-being
>by using potassium iodide during Chernobyl event. I've been participant
>while my family members used to be the general public.


Sorry, I do not understand your contribution. You have obviously a US
e-mail-address from which I would conclude that you live in the US. What
did you save your family from? From some picoSv of radiation dose? It is
common understanding that the adminstering of KI in Poland was not
justified on radiation protection grounds. I have read that about 35 000
people showed in Poland adverse health affects after KI intake - this is in
my opinion not a number to be neglected. 

In Austria the constant political pressure to criminalize the nuclear power
plants in our eastern neigbouring countries (not of course the ones of our
Western neighbours like Switzerland and Germany) has resulted in a campaign
to distribute KI-tablets to the population. I do not remember the details
about costs - they might have been free of charge. But the issue has at
least been discussed and measures have been taken. It is well known that in
at least some European countries the emergency plans include that people
living near to the nuclear power plants are provided with KI tablets just
in case... I really have problems to believe that in US emergency plans the
intake of KI tablets should not be foreseen, especially after following the
many discussions and complaints on RADSAFE about the strict legislation. 

Regards,

Franz


Franz Schoenhofer
Habicherg. 31/7
A-1160 Vienna
Austria
Tel.: +43-1-495 53 08
Fax.: same number
mobile phone: +43-664-338 0 333
e-mail: schoenho@via.at

Office:
Federal Institute for Food Control and Research
Department of Radiochemistry
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A-1095 Vienna
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e-mail: schoenhofer@baluf.via.at