美國人民也搶“鹽”：擔心核輻射 碘化鉀脫銷
Supplies of potassium iodide, a preventive against radiation poisoning of the thyroid gland, were running low Monday at some manufacturers, as Americans sought protection amid fears that radiation from Japan could head to the U.S.
在美國一些地區，由於害怕日本的核輻射波及，人們開始搶購有防輻射功效的碘化鉀，導致碘化鉀供應量開始吃緊。
One leading supplier, Anbex Inc., quickly sold out of its supply of more than 10,000 14-tablet packages on Saturday, said Alan Morris, president of the Williamsburg, Va., company.
一家最大的碘化鉀供應商Anbex Inc.在弗吉尼亞州的威廉斯堡分公司老總Alan Morris說，他們在週六就很快售完了超過一萬份（每份含14片碘化鉀）的的庫存。
He said the closely held firm was getting about three orders a minute for $10 packages of its Iosat pills, up from as few as three a week normally. "Those who don't get it are crying. They're terrified," Morris said.
他說，他們幾乎每分鐘就能接到三份訂貨，而之前每週也只賣出去三份。“有些搶不到的人還哭了，他們很恐慌。”
The company tells callers that the likelihood of dangerous levels of radiation reaching the U.S. is low, but some callers, particularly on the West Coast, remain afraid, Morris said.
公司告訴打電話訂購的人，核輻射影響美國的機率很小，但是居住在西海岸的那些人仍然很擔心。
Interest is also high at Fleming Pharmaceuticals, a St. Louis County company that makes potassium iodide in liquid form. "It actually has been insanity here," said Deborah Fleming Wurdack, a co-owner.
聖路易斯縣的一家制藥公司也出現了搶購狂潮，這裏賣的是液態碘化鉀。公司的一位合夥人Deborah Fleming Wurdack說：“這的人都瘋了。”
Fleming Pharmaceuticals still has supply, but it expects to run out this week, Wurdack said.
Fleming製藥公司還留有庫存，不過估計本週內就會賣光。
The risk is thought to be low that radiation released in Japan will reach the US West Coast at dangerous levels.
日本的核輻射抵達美國西海岸並造成嚴重危害的機率其實很低。
"Japan has an evacuation area of about 12 miles [19km] from the nuclear plants. Washington state is 5,000 to 6,000 miles away from Japan," said Tim Church, a spokesman for the Washington State Department of Health.
華盛頓州衛生廳發言人Tim Church說：“日本的疏散範圍是距核電站12英里的地區，而華盛頓離日本有5000-6000英里遠。”
Potassium iodide is a salt that stops the body from taking in radioactive iodine that can be emitted during a nuclear emergency. It fills up the thyroid gland, preventing it from collecting the radioactive material and reducing the risk of cancer, among other things.
碘化鉀能夠阻礙人體吸收放射性的碘，它通過爲甲狀腺補充足夠的碘元素來防止其對放射性碘元素的吸收，從而降低致癌機率。
