Nuclear Regulatory Authority recommends iodine to stem radiation exposure

TOKYO — Japan’s Nuclear Regulatory Authority has released guidelines following new research into the effects of exposure to nuclear radiation in humans.

The authority recommends that those living within a 30-km radius of a nuclear crisis of the magnitude of that at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant should be given iodine as quickly as possible. The authority’s research suggests that this should reduce by about 20% radiation that comes into contact with the thyroid gland while breathing, Fuji TV reported.

The guidelines also recommend that those living within 5 km of a disaster site be evacuated outside of the 30-km exclusion zone, where exposure to radioactive material is around 100 times lower. The authority added that the 30-km exclusion zone could be expanded in the case of adverse weather conditions.
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