Radio-iodine dangerous to seedlings?

[Elevator Man]

This is a weird question, but I have nowhere else to ask it. I need to have a session of radio-iodine treatment very soon for an over-active thyroid gland. I already had this 18 months ago, and I have undergo a second round of treatment shortly. This will effectively remove most of my thyroid gland, and putting me on thyroxine for life - not as bad as it sounds, BTW!

The question I have regards the treatment itself. I have to take a capsule of radioactive iodine, which migrates pretty quickly to the thyroid gland in the neck. For the next week, my neck will be pretty radioactive - sufficient for me to have to avoid pregnant women and young children. After a week, I can be in the same room, but no close contact. I will still trigger radiation detectors at US airports, should I visit! After two weeks, it's pretty much safe - radio-iodine has a half-life of a week, and disappears quickly.

So my question is - (and I already asked the specialist, who had no idea, naturally) - if radio-iodine could affect pregnant women, then surely it would affect germinating seeds and young seedlings? I'm concerned that I may introduce a mutation, or just plain kill them, given they are rapidly-growing organisms. I doubt they would become radioactive, due to the short half-life, but I obviously don't want to screw up my genetics either..

Please note that these rules (preganant women, etc.) are precautionary, and do not imply I WILL damage anyone, just that it's best to stay away for everyone's sake. But my seeds/seedlings will be getting a large dose (for them) every time I even look at them.

Anyone have any experience/ideas?

 

[Saabotage]

Well. Here is an idea.

Well. Here is an idea.

Try it and see!

Make a control gruop and a test group!

Remeber Most of the time a mutation is a bad thing. But their can be benefitial mutations also!

Plus. It would awnser this question for us all!

 

[Elevator Man]

Well, not the answer I was expecting, but a reasonable one nonetheless! I guess I could volunteer myself as a guinea-pig for a radiation experiment - not sure morally where I'd stand on that one! Although it would probably start off another hilarious mutant punch-up thread, so on those grounds alone, I think it's worth a try...

"Throw the switch Igor!"

 

[Jam Master Jaco]

In no way am I professional in the field of radiation, but here's my 2 cents. I think it would take a lot of exposure for a great amount of time (at least a few hours) before you would have to worry about damaging the plants.

But if you do end up screwing up your plants you can start writing comics. RADIOACTIVE MAN!

I'll smoke to your health when I get back from work. Good luck with the treatment.

 

[Elevator Man]

I think you're probably right - the notes I have are aimed at people, obviously, but it's definitely concerned with long exposures - i.e. don't share a bed, or sit kids on knees etc. - at least for the first week. But I think a few minutes would be OK. It's just that I have to get pretty close to seedlings, and as it's in my neck, it's hard to avoid exposing them.

Anyway, to save some complications, I've started two packs of seed early, so at least they'll be a little more robust by the time I have my treatment

 

[Babbabud]

Heya Elevator Man good luck with your upcoming procedure. Dont worry about living without a thyroid ive been doin it for 40 years

 

[Elevator Man]

Well now thanks! That IS reassuring news - I appreciate it.
Pity there's no thyroid-related complaints I could rely on a for a medical argument - or are there?
Did you have surgery to remove it or radio-iodine? My friend also had his removed a few years back, and he doesn't have too many problems - although he forgets to take his thyroxine for weeks at a time, and only remembers when he begins to grind to a halt!

But the more I read about this, the less I'm worrying - about the plants anyway. I'm sure they've fought off tougher stuff. There's a huge amount of unaffected nature growing around Chernobyl - saw a doc on TV last week. It was mostly radio-iodine that was released, and they've tested rabbits, birds, insects and all the plants nearby, and most seem to have coped with it fine.

We'll see - but 40 years with no problems makes me feel a lot better about this - so thanks again