Cher, Loiret, Nièvre and EDF are launching an awareness campaign to remind residents near the Belleville-sur-Loire nuclear power plant to renew their iodine tablets.
“There is no room for chance when it comes to nuclear power,” says José De Carvalho, director of the Belleville-sur-Loire nuclear power plant. With this in mind, people living or working within a 10-kilometre radius of the plant are invited to go to the pharmacy, starting today, to renew their iodine tablets, to be taken in the event of a nuclear accident.
The Belleville-sur-Loire nuclear power plant as you’ve never seen it before [diaporama]
The last awareness campaign dates back to 2016. “It is good, 8 years later, to take stock of certain good practices,” says Maurice Barate, Prefect of Cher. Until October 15, the prefectures of Cher, Nièvre and Loiret will conduct an increased awareness campaign. The goal? To distribute new tablets, inform the population and reassure those who have questions.
What are these stable iodine tablets used for?
To produce electricity, a nuclear power plant uses uranium. When its atoms split, this uranium produces gases containing radioactive particles, including iodine. These particles, treated internally, could, in the event of a serious accident, be released into the air.
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Taking stable iodine is then effective in protecting the thyroid from radioactive iodine contamination. By taking stable iodine at the right time, the thyroid gland becomes saturated and can therefore no longer absorb radioactive iodine.
When and how to use them?
“There is a peak in effectiveness for using these tablets. You should not take it before the prefect’s announcement, because it would not be effective for long enough,” warns José De Carvalho.
The pill must be taken within six to eight hours of contamination. In the event of an accident, a prefectural announcement is sent to residents within a 10-kilometer radius, via radio, television, social networks and prefecture websites, to define the ideal time to take a pill.
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Age, breastfeeding or even pregnancy do not present any contraindications. “The tablets are quadruplicated, which allows for different dosages depending on age, in particular,” explains Maurice Barate. Thus, from 0 to 1 month, an infant should take a quarter of a tablet, and beyond 12 years, the intake would be two tablets.
Where can I collect my tablets?
Iodine tablets are available free of charge in approved pharmacies. For individuals, no proof is required, boxes of 10 tablets are distributed according to family composition. For establishments receiving the public, such as town halls or schools, a dematerialized voucher is required.
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In total, ten pharmacies are concerned. Two in Cher, in Léré and Savigny-en-Sancerre; three in Loiret, in Beaulieu-sur-Loire, Bonny-sur-Loire and Châtillon-sur-Loire and finally five in Nièvre, including four in Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire and one in Neuvy-sur-Loire. Namely, expired tablets can be returned to the pharmacy to be exchanged.
Is my municipality within the 10 kilometer radius?
This distribution concerns approximately 13,000 inhabitants. Six communes of Cher: Belleville-sur-Loire, Boulleret, Léré, Santranges, Savigny-en-Sancerre and Sury-près-Léré. Six communes of Loiret: Batilly-en-Puisaye, Beaulieu-sur-Loire, Bonny-sur-Loire, Châtillon-sur-Loire, Faverelles and Thou. Eight communes of Nièvre: Annay, Arquian, Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire, la Celle-sur-Loire, Myennes, Neuvy-sur-Loire, Saint-Loup and Saint-Vérain.
Practical. For any information, residents and workers in the areas concerned can contact their town halls, visit the websites of the prefectures and, of course, ask all their questions to their pharmacists.
Delphine Simonneau
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