Although the catastrophe in Japan is not garnering top headlines any more, the crisis is far from over.  As of Sunday, March 27, radiation levels at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant reached a new high. Leaked water from the plant had 100,000 times the radioactivity of normal background levels. Japanese authorities have said that it will take months to control Fukushima’s overheated reactors, and that during that time, radiation will continue to leak into the environment.  And, the danger of a full-blown nuclear meltdown has not been eliminated. Critical cooling systems have still not been restored.

Radiation from Japan has been detected, at very low levels, all across the United States. For instance, on Sunday, rain water in Massachusetts was found to be contaminated with radioactive particles from Fukushima. California, Oregon, Washington, and Colorado are other states that have reported quantified radiation from Japan, but it may be that all states have been affected- including Alaska and Hawaii.

At this time, the US government is discouraging Americans from taking potassium iodide because they say that levels seen here have been harmless. The Union of Concerned Scientists, an anti-nuclear group of doctors and researchers, is discouraging even the stockpiling of potassium iodide by Americans- on the grounds that it may impede the Japanese from getting it.

I, myself, do have some potassium iodide in storage, but I have not taken it yet. My plan is that if I hear of major contamination in Southern California, then I will take it. The most important thing right now is to continue to closely monitor the situation, which I intend to do.  And I’ll pass along anything I hear.   I have no wish to be an alarmist about it, but I do want to be a realist.