Japan Radiation Does Not Appear to Pose Local Risk at This Time, County Says

Contra Costa County health officials issued a notice Tuesday saying there appears to be no risk at present to county residents from radioactivity leaking from damaged reactors in Japan.

In addition, the statement said, it is not recommended that county residents take potassium iodide, which can have harmful effects.

"Given the thousands of miles between here and Japan, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission does not expect to find any harmful levels of radioactivity in Hawaii, Alaska or the West Coast," according to the statement from Contra Costa Health Services.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency meanwhile said Tuesday it is installing additional radiation monitors in the Western United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, and in Guam. The agency has monitors already in place in California, including one in San Francisco, whose readings are accessible to the public at http://www.epa.gov/cdx.

Reactors in a nuclear power complex 140 miles northeast of Tokyo have leaked radiation in the wake of the massive 8.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Japan Thursday night California time.

The quake and the resulting tsunami knocked out the reactors' cooling systems, and resulting explosions, fires and overheating of fuel rods at the power plants have sent radiation into the atmosphere. Japanese authorities so far have not been able to bring the disaster under control, spawning fears of a partial meltdown and a much larger release of radioactive materials.

The California Department of Public Health also has published "Frequently Asked Questions" about radiation, citing the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission saying there's no danger to California from Japan's nuclear emergency and advising against taking potassium iodide.

Potassium iodide tablets are given to people exposed to excessive radiation to block absorption of radioactive iodide.

"Using potassium iodide when inappropriate could have potential serious side effects such as abnormal heart rhythms, nausea, vomiting, electrolyte abnormalities and bleeding," according to the state Department of Public Health.

The county health department statement urged those with questions about the impact of the Japanese emergency on California's public health to visit the state  Department of Public Health website or call the information hotline, 916-341-3947, which is staffed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

The county also encouraged residents to "be prepared in the event of any emergency" and said preparedness tips can be found at http://www.cchealth.org/topics/emergencies/.