What is POTASSIUM IODIDE?

KI (K= Potassium, I = Iodine) is the chemical formula for this solution. IT is a white powder at room temperature.

How is POTASSIUM IODIDE made?

It is manufactured by treating Potassium Hydroxide with Iodine. It is also found naturaly in Kelp (sea-weed).

Is POTASSIUM IODIDE healty for me?

In its pure form Potassium iodide is a mild irritant and should be handled with gloves. Chronic overexposure can have adverse effects on the thyroid. Potassium iodide is a possible teratogen (cause of birth defects).

If you saturate Potassium iodide in water 1 drop would equal 333 times your natural dailing intake of Potassium iodide.

More information about POTASSIUM IODIDE.

In 1982, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved potassium iodide to protect thyroid glands from radioactive iodine involving accidents or fission emergencies. In an accidental event or attack on a nuclear power plant, or in nuclear bomb fallout, volatile fission product radionuclides may be released.

Emergency 130 milligrams potassium iodide doses provide 100 mg iodide (the other 30 mg is the potassium in the compound), which is roughly 700 times larger than the normal nutritional need (see recommended dietary allowance) for iodine, which is 150 micrograms (0.15 mg) of iodine (as iodide) per day for an adult.

Potassium iodide cannot protect against any other causes of radiation poisoning, nor can it provide any degree of protection against dirty bombs that produce radionuclides other than radioisotopes of iodine. See fission products and the external links for more details concerning radionuclides.


KI is a precursor to silver iodide (AgI) an important chemical in photography. KI is a component in some disinfectants and hair treatment chemicals. KI is also used as a fluorescence quenching agent in biomedical research, an application that takes advantage of collisional quenching of fluorescent substances by the iodide ion. However, for several fluorophores addition of KI in µM-mM concentrations results in increase of fluorescence intensity, and Iodide acts as fluorescence enhancer. Potassium iodide is a component in the electrolyte of dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC) along with iodine.