Assessment of Potassium Iodide (KI) Distribution Program Among Communities Within the Emergency Planning Zones (EPZ) of Two Nuclear Power Plants

Abstract

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate a joint state and local government-sponsored potassium iodide (KI) distribution program in New Jersey. This program is part of a radiological emergency response system for residents living within the Emergency Planning Zones (EPZs) of nuclear power facilities. KI pills and an informational fact sheet were distributed locally at six different public clinics in the summer of 2002. In this study, a mailed survey was developed, pilot tested, and sent to the general public to assess knowledge about KI use. The survey consisted of two groups of people, those who attended a KI distribution clinic and those that did not attend a clinic. There was a statistically significant difference in knowledge among the two groups of survey respondents regarding KI prophylaxis, with a mean of 46% of survey questions answered correctly by those who attended a clinic vs. 15% by those who did not attend. Certain questions were problematic for the public to answer correctly and included potential low compliance with government instructions for taking KI, confusion regarding where the public can obtain KI pills during an emergency, and the lack of awareness on the proper use of KI for children, pregnant women, and persons over the age of 40 y. Additional outreach in these specific areas is warranted. This study also found that there was a highly variable geographic pattern of homes that have a supply of KI pills, with some areas having 60% of the households supplied with pills from the clinic while other areas had as low as 1% of the homes supplied with KI pills.