Map Shows Radioactive Plume Heading Toward California

Trace amounts of radiation from the nuclear disaster in Japan could reach the Los Alamitos Seal Beach area by Friday, according to federal authorities. However, the levels are not considered high enough to pose a health risk to the community.

Still residents have been calling local pharmacists seeking potassium iodide pills as a protective measure. Local pharmacies from Rite Aid to CVS in Seal Beach and Los Alamitos do not carry the pills. The pharmacies that do carry the pills, which help to protect against radiation sickness, tend to be in south Orange County near the San Onofre nuclear power plant.

 There is no need to panic, said Todd De Voe, the emergency services coordinator for the city of Seal Beach. The city is in touch with the experts and with FEMA, and the levels of radiation that would reach the Unites States don’t pose a health threat, he said. If that were to change, the city would have enough notice to take emergency measures, such as evacuation, added De Voe.

Austria’s Federal Ministry for Science and Research has released a map showing radioactive material from the nuclear disaster in Japan as it heads across the Pacific Ocean. According to the United Nations, small amounts of radiation could reach California by Friday.

The U.N. says the plume will lose radioactive force as it travels and may not be detectable when it reaches the Southland.

Potassium iodide is a salt—the chemical symbol is KI—similar to table salt. It can be used to protect the human thyroid gland from radioactive iodine.

 “I know there has been a run on them because of what is going on in Japan,” De Voe said. “But the pills should not be taken unless ordered to because the pills are only active for 24 hours. We would recommend people take the pills as they are evacuating. You wouldn’t want to take them and then sit and hang out.”

Because there isn’t a health threat associated with the radiation from Japan, De Voe said he doesn’t anticipate the need for any emergency measures. If there were such a need, measures would range from evacuations to recommending that people, “shelter in place,” by staying inside and turning off their air conditioners and closing their vents, said De Voe. The home should be enough to protect anyone from radiation particles, he said.

Hundreds of Orange County residents concerned about the radiation that could be coming their way have been requesting potassium iodide pills from local pharmacists.  

Residents in Seal Beach and Los Alamitos have been calling the CVS pharmacies on Pacific Coast Highway and Katella seeking the pills, but the store doesn’t have any, said a pharmacist there. Similarly, other local pharmacies from the independent chains to Rite Aid don’t carry the pills either.

In Laguna Niguel, there are two groups that have been purchasing the pills: “those who are concerned there will be some fallout from the Japan nuclear plant” and “others who just want to be prepared and have it in their possession in case it does.”

San Juan Capistrano spokeswoman Kelly Tokarski said the city "has gotten ," for potassium iodide pills. "All they have to do is call the city to get it," she said.

About 100 people have called the city of San Clemente to stock up on the pills in case of emergency, said Jen Tucker, the city's emergency planning officer.

, she said. "It's more than we usually have, but it's not indicative of panic."