Contamination by radioactive iodine can cause thyroid cancer, as it was the case after the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident.

Health effects of the Chernobyl accident: an overview





If exposure (from radioactive-iodine-contaminated soil/food/water) cannot be avoided, a way to prevent this is to prophylactically ingest potassium iodine before potential exposure, as per WHO's guidelines.

Use of potassium iodide for thyroid protection during nuclear or radiological emergencies

The question I am trying to answer here is do we need to take some in prevention or not.

Please note that I am not a medical doctor and that such decision is usually left to governments. I am not advising anyone to buy and/or consume potassium iodided.





Considering the recent wildfires in the vicinity of the Chernobyl site, I was wondering if there was any risk for my family to be exposed to dangerous levels of radioactive iodine.

As if covid-19 was not enough already.