Experts: Iodine should not be taken as prophylaxis

There have been no changes in the radiation levels in Bulgaria, both today and since the beginning of hostilities in Ukraine, the Nuclear Regulatory Agency said on March 4. Experts are adamant that iodine tablets should not be taken as prophylaxis.

Every day, the National Centre for Radiobiology and Radiation Protection (NCRRP) takes a sample of the ambient air, with an air aspirator and measure radiation levels.

Fortunately, everything is more than fine, no technogenic radionuclides have been detected, neither cesium nor iodine 131 in the samples we have analyzed so far, says Assoc. Rositsa Totseva - head of the laboratory "Monitoring of radiation exposure of the population" at the national centre for radiation protection.

The graph, which is updated on the radiation protection centre's website, also shows that the gamma radiation dose levels are normal.

Since the beginning of hostilities, there has been no change in the normal gamma levels on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria. There is no contamination at the Zaporizhzhya NPP site, says Tsanko Bachiiski, chairman of the Nuclear Regulation Agency.

In case of increased radiation levels, the recommendation of the World Health Organization is to take a tablet of potassium iodide in a specified amount, which is not available in pharmacies.

The tablets that we give out or are planned to give out in a nuclear accident are not sold in pharmacies and are not sold in pharmacies anywhere in the world, they are an element of government planning, says Assoc. Zhanna Dzhunova, director of the National Centre for Radiobiology and Radiation Protection.

For days, however, there has been an increased demand for iodine compounds in pharmacies.

People are worried about the situation and are looking for all kinds of products, food supplements containing iodine, says Vesela Lazarova, pharmacist.

Prophylactic intake of potassium iodide is not only pointless, but is also harmful, experts say.

Certainly there will be no protection, because even tablets specifically for this are effective if taken 24 hours before contamination, very high effectiveness up to 2 hours after the appearance of contamination and about 50% up to 8 hours after the appearance of contamination, says Assoc.prof. Zhanna Dzhunova, director of the National Centre for Radiobiology and Radiation Protection.

Iodine tincture sold in pharmacies should not be drunk, specialists war. It is only for external disinfection of wounds. Excess iodine in the body can be toxic.

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