Can Japan's Radiation Reach California?

Will the radiation cross the ocean?

Will potassium iodide pills help?

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) -- Nuclear meltdown fears continue to rise for Japanese residents in the wake of last week's massive earthquake and tsunami, and concerns over radiation have forced hundreds of thousands of people to take cover.

Reactor fires have released radiation into the atmosphere and numerous explosions have dramatically illustrated the worsening conditions inside the stricken nuclear plants in Fukushima, and U.S. military service members have been exposed to radiation out at sea.

Hundreds of thousands of doses of potassium iodine have been distributed in Japan, but there's also a run on the drug in the United States and Canada, leading to back orders from suppliers and panic from worried customers.

The shockwaves from the earthquake already hit the west coast of North America in the form of a tsunami; is it possible for radiation leaks to create a health hazard in California?

The short answer is no, experts say.

Most concerns over the radiation are tied to the atmospheric jet stream, the powerful air flow that travels past Japan, across the Pacific Ocean and into North America from a height of 20,000 to 50,000 feet.

The damaged Fukushima reactors are venting radiation in the form of steam from boiling water, which poses a serious local risk but can only rise about 2,000 feet into the air, not nearly high enough to enter the jet stream.

"It would be like taking smoke from your barbecue and hoping it gets to Pittsburgh," said CBS13 meteorologist Dave Bender. "It's not going to happen."

Global concerns over fallout are typically tied to the effects of nuclear explosions, which can fling radioactive debris as high as 20,000 feet for small (1 kiloton yield) explosions or as high as 100,000 feet for large (15 megaton yield) explosions. The design of nuclear power plants makes any similar manner of explosion impossible.

Any particles that could make the 5,000 mile journey across the ocean would be detected by the monitoring system (.pdf) placed along the coast by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

"This is not a new thing, to continually monitor the air, soil and water to make sure there are no unhealthy levels in those areas," said California Emergency Management spokesman Jordan Scott.

Concerned California residents have cleared the shelves of potassium iodide pills at many health stores, and prices on auction sites like eBay have climbed to as much as $75 per pill and beyond.

Potassium iodide can protect the thyroid against one type of radiation damage, but it doesn't protect any other parts of the body. The drug is generally considered safe but can cause reactions in people with shellfish allergies.

The pill is only considered effective for people who live within a few miles of a nuclear meltdown and have been constantly bombarded with radiation.

"The reality is there is no need and it's not recommended that people are taking this," Scott said. "Any recommendation would come from local health officials in a particular area.

The federal government already has stockpiles of the drug to distribute to states in the event of a local nuclear emergency.