Published on: Statement
- emergency protection
- special questions
Protection strategies in case of a nuclear detonation - Protective effect of iodine thyroid blocking and particle filtering half masks
Statement by the German Commission on Radiological Protection
Adopted at the 319th meeting of the SSK on 29 March 2022
Abstract
In connection with Russia's attack on Ukraine, the SSK was asked by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) to assess the extent to which the various protective measures pre-planned for radiological emergencies can also be effective and appropriate from a radiological point of view in the event of the deployment of nuclear weapons.
In a first preliminary result, the SSK had determined in March 2022 that taking high-dose potassium iodide tablets (iodine blockade) in the first 48 hours after the deployment of a nuclear weapon plays at best a subordinate role and is not classified as useful protective measure.