Japan radiation: How concerned are you about nuclear fallout?

Satellite images show the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant before the earthquake, left, and on Monday. (Digital Globe/Reuters)

By CBC News

British Columbians spooked by ongoing explosions at Japan's quake-damaged nuclear plants this week are making a run on pharmacies, hoping to boost immunity to any potential radiation drift by stockpiling potassium iodide.

Medical authorities have used potassium iodide -- the compound KI -- in radioactive iodine-contamination emergencies before, such as nuclear accidents, to block any uptake by the thyroid and cut the risk of thyroid cancer.

B.C.'s Health Officer Dr. Perry Kendall issued a notice Monday saying it would take five to six days for winds to carry nuclear particles across the Pacific, and by that time any radiation would have dispersed into the atmosphere.

In spite of assurances from Kendall, other health officials and Prime Minister Stephen Harper that Canadians are not at risk of radiological exposure, additional reports that some countries are now scanning Japanese food for signs of radiation are causing anxiety in some Canadians.

"There is definitely a panic," said pharmacist Cristina Alarcon, at Hollyburn Medicine Centre in West Vancouver, who has witnessed the recent spike in potassium iodide purchases.

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This sense of fear was expressed by one CBC audience member, who sent an e-mail to the Community team, asking: "Can you ask experts how long after an explosion will it take radiation to reach Canada and the USA? Yes I know the jet stream flows all around the world. Please ask so everyone can chat with far away relatives NOW."

Have the recent events in Japan caused you to worry about safety issues here in Canada? How concerned are you about radiation from Japan? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.



(This survey is not scientific. It is based on readers' responses.)