So yeah... things are NOT looking good here. I have no faith in any government during a natural disaster (especially one such as this) and not much understanding of nuclear power plant meltdowns on a technical level so I'm looking into precautions right now. Seems that there might be at least 2 or 3 days before the chance of any radiation or effects could hit Tokyo, assuming the worst case and that wind is blown this way or so.
Does anyone know where to get iodine tablets or any other advice?
Iodine tablets (?) used to prevent internal contamination especially thyroid gland by iodine 131 ﾂ（ﾋ??窶凖ｨﾆ塚?脱窶惑ﾂ催 Antei youso zai in Japanese) are not sold at drug stores.
They are stocked by municipalities and to be used at evacuation centers/first aid stations/hospitals in case of emergency.
These tablets have strong side effects and only to be taken under the supervision of doctors/experts.
There are some medicines containing iodine are available such as gargle/mouthwash,soap, spray for throats but DO NOT TAKE THEM INTERNALLY. They contain just too small amount of iodine which is not effective, besides they are strictly for external use only and may contain other agents which are harmful to your health.
Just remember that stable iodine tablets ONLY protect your thyroid from cancer. Each tablet only lasts for one day. Of course some protection is better than no protection.
We were also told that they'd not be sold in drug stores. Our embassy in Tokyo distributed them among the local expats. Will cycle into Tokyo tomorrow to see if we can still get a ration.
Iodine tablets (?) used to prevent internal contamination especially thyroid gland by iodine 131 （安定ヨウ素剤 Antei youso zai in Japanese) are not sold at drug stores.
They are stocked by municipalities and to be used at evacuation centers/first aid stations/hospitals in case of emergency.
These tablets have strong side effects and only to be taken under the supervision of doctors/experts.
There are some medicines containing iodine are available such as gargle/mouthwash,soap, spray for throats but DO NOT TAKE THEM INTERNALLY. They contain just too small amount of iodine which is not effective, besides they are strictly for external use only and may contain other agents which are harmful to your health.
Is that the same as potassium iodide tablets, used to protect the thyroid from radioactive iodine ? Potassium iodide is ﾆ塚?脱窶ｰﾂｻﾆ竹ﾆ耽ﾆ歎ﾆ脱ﾆ停ぎﾂ ﾂ（youka potasiumu). :?
Is that the same as potassium iodide tablets, used to protect the thyroid from radioactive iodine ? Potassium iodide is ﾆ塚?脱窶ｰﾂｻﾆ竹ﾆ耽ﾆ歎ﾆ脱ﾆ停ぎﾂ ﾂ（youka potasiumu). :?
Read this very carefully!
You might be allergic to iodine, and this could cause serious problems.
As mentioned above, don't buy or use it unless there is a known reason for it, or it has been prescribed by a doctor! http://www.bt.cdc.gov/radiation/ki.asp#med
..... anyway.
I think you should be able to get them from your embassy. So if they haven't contacted you about it yet, just give them a call.
it might be good to have them just in case.
Radiation in Tokyo is the same level as "normal" since 16th March.
It went up much higher than usual still the level was max. 0.5 micro Sv/h.
(And it lasted only for a few hours.)
If one stands outside and is exposed to it (0.5 micro Sv) for a whole day (24h), one gets only 12 micro Sv of radiation.
I said "only" because if I get my chest x-rayed, I'll get 50 micro Sv.
In case of stomach, 600 micro Sv.
If I fly to New York from Tokyo, then fly back to Tokyo, I'll get 200 micro Sv.
Since 16th March up to now, the radiation in Tokyo is less than 0.1 micro Sv, which within the "normal" level in the past.
Today milk from Fukushima and spinach from Ibaraki (both beyond 30km radius area) were tested and radioactive material above the safety standard was detected.
They immediately stopped at the farms, and farms were also advised not to consume the produce themselves.
Also it was decided that they'll screen more produce from these area.
Yet it was confirmed that it is the level that even if one consume them everyday for one year, it does not affect one's health.
That's said, people who are worried about it very much should get the iodine tablet "just in case", because constant worrying does affect one's mental health. If having some tablets ready makes one feel better, then he/she should get them - though one should be very careful about actually taking them.
Today milk from Fukushima and spinach from Ibaraki (both beyond 30km radius area) were tested and radioactive material above the safety standard was detected.
Yet it was confirmed that it is the level that even if one consume them everyday for one year, it does not affect one's health.
"The standard is based on the 1 kg of the item, and MHLW (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) said that (the amount the radioactive material in question) is in case a person eat 1 kg of spinach everyday, and even if one eats 1kg a day, it does not affect one's health immediately."
(Sorry my translation is rather poor and could be misleading.)
I was speechless the other day when I was down at Shinagawa Wharf, where Tokyo Immigration is located. There were thousands of foreigners lined up on the sidewalk four or five abreast for probably at least eight city blocks. It took me a while to figure out what they were doing. I finally saw an Immigration guy holding up a sign indicating the end of the line for people seeking re-entry permits.
It is probably an unfair and uncharitable assessment, but they struck me as a bunch of Good-Time Charlies. But then I've never had a whole lot of understanding of or use for foreigners who live with one foot in Japan and one foot somewhere else. It is hard to have your heart and soul in Japan when your a$$ is busy bouncing in and out of it.
Mike the flip side is that the people who leave will free up more food, electricity, and medical services for those that choose to stay. That's just my half full take on the situation.
I was speechless the other day when I was down at Shinagawa Wharf, where Tokyo Immigration is located. There were thousands of foreigners lined up on the sidewalk four or five abreast for probably at least eight city blocks. It took me a while to figure out what they were doing. I finally saw an Immigration guy holding up a sign indicating the end of the line for people seeking re-entry permits.
I was speechless the other day when I was down at Shinagawa Wharf, where Tokyo Immigration is located. There were thousands of foreigners lined up on the sidewalk four or five abreast for probably at least eight city blocks. It took me a while to figure out what they were doing. I finally saw an Immigration guy holding up a sign indicating the end of the line for people seeking re-entry permits.
It is probably an unfair and uncharitable assessment, but they struck me as a bunch of Good-Time Charlies. But then I've never had a whole lot of understanding of or use for foreigners who live with one foot in Japan and one foot somewhere else. It is hard to have your heart and soul in Japan when your a$$ is busy bouncing in and out of it.
I couldn't believe the responses of some embassies. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110319a7.html
According to the French Embassy, 280 citizens have been flown back to France and 10,000 iodine tablets are ready to be distributed to French residents in Japan to protect their thyroid glands. French ex-pats have also been advised to either return to France or go farther south in Japan.
The United States began evacuating Americans and their family members to "safe havens" in East Asia on Thursday and "strongly urges U.S. citizens to defer travel to Japan at this time." It also said "those in Japan should consider departing" and a flight to Saipan for U.S. citizens was to leave Narita airport on Friday night.
Mike the flip side is that the people who leave will free up more food, electricity, and medical services for those that choose to stay. That's just my half full take on the situation.
My take is that they're damned lucky I wasn't the one passing out re-entry permits. I would only issue them to people who had to flee from directly affected areas and just simply didn't have anywhere else to go. Everybody else?....if you're leaving, pack your sh!t and stay gone.
My take is that they're damned lucky I wasn't the one passing out re-entry permits. I would only issue them to people who had to flee from directly affected areas and just simply didn't have anywhere else to go. Everybody else?....if you're leaving, pack your sh!t and stay gone.
I'm so frustrated with the level of my command of English language!!!
What I m trying to say is something like this.
Say the level which may affect one's health 100.
The standard for safety is 5.
The current level is 10.
Even if you take 10 - 20, it does not affect one's health immediately. (Except long term consumption and accumulation.)
The authority ordered the farms and agri coops to stop these agri produces and not consume them by themselves either. They'll collect these produces in question from the market as far as possible.
Note: all these figures are my made-ups.
This is what I expressed as "safe", maybe my choice of the word is wrong.
Please read the news articles I posted and judge the situation yourself.
I'd be most grateful if you could translate them and post here to convey more accurate information to other members.
edit: maybe this thread helps to explain the situation?
I haven't posted in a long time. But I am glad to see the same members of this forum posting away, being helpful, as usual. I am more than a little worried because I live in Tsukuba and heard the TEPCO representative mention the spinach contamination here in Ibaraki. It's hard to get a gauge...
jref.com
And I repeat my previous post:
"The standard is based on the 1 kg of the item, and MHLW (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) said that (the amount the radioactive material in question) is in case a person eat 1 kg of spinach every day, and even if one eats 1kg a day, it does not affect one's health immediately."
(Sorry my translation is rather poor and could be misleading.)
Unrentide, you or I would be hard pressed to eat 1kg of spinach every day. I think folks are just worried, and anything that has radiation is to be feared. They forget that without some radiation in the form of sunlight and heat, everyone would die.
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