Nuclear Alert: Belgium Distributed Iodine Pills, But Claims There’s ‘No Risk’

Belgium has randomly begun the free distribution of iodine pills to its citizens. Millions of boxes of pills have been delivered, but the Belgium government continues to claim there is no risk of radiation.

Pharmacies have begun receiving some of the 4.5 million boxes of iodine pills, which have been available for citizens for free since Tuesday. This was revealed during the presentation of a new plan in the extreme case of a nuclear emergency. The distribution of the medicine, which is considered beneficial for radiation-affected citizens, came as an updated emergency plan came into effect.

According to RT, in 2017, the Belgium government launched a website, explaining to its 11 million citizens the step-by-step instructions on what to do in case of a nuclear accident. The alert states that in emergency situations, citizens should always follow recommendations of the authorities, which include seeking shelter, following evacuation orders and taking iodine pills.

One of the dangers of a nuclear disaster is the release of radioactive iodine (Iodine-131) which can be accumulated in the thyroid gland and cause thyroid cancer. Taking iodine pills, also known as potassium iodide, before or at the beginning of exposure can prevent thyroid cancer, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It was Iodine-131 that caused around 5,000 deaths from thyroid cancer following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986.

According to Belgian Interior Minister Jan Jambon, Brussels is trying to “properly inform” the public, adding that all measures are solely precautionary and the nuclear facilities present no threat. “For now there is no specific risk with our nuclear plants,” Jambon said.

There are two nuclear power plants, operating seven reactors within Belgium. The first plant is located in the village of Doel, near the northern Dutch-speaking port of Antwerp, and the second is in French-speaking Liege province in the south. Citing its aging reactors, the country has decided to phase out nuclear power by 2025 and are perhaps expecting some radioactive incidents to occur.

Belgium launched an initial series of emergency measures back in 1991 in case of a nuclear disaster, but only updated them in 2003, Benoit Ramacker, spokesman for the national crisis center said. With the latest plans, “citizens must also prepare to help themselves the day something happens”, Ramacker told RTBF in an interview.

The country has recently witnessed dozens of minor incidents linked to nuclear power sites. Thus, in 2017 local media reported that ultrasonic inspections detected a substantial number of new micro cracks in nuclear reactors at both Belgian plants. Back in 2014, the Doel 4 nuclear reactor was temporarily closed due to an oil leak. Authorities later confirmed that it was a case of sabotage. –RT

Media outlets reported that terrorist suicide bombers Khalid and Ibrahim El Bakraoui had been planning attacks on Belgian nuclear power stations, according to Dernier Heure report.

By all accounts, it appears that the Belgium government is preparing for a nuclear incident of some kind, but they say there is “no risk” of radiation at this time.

IKEA Launches Sustainable DIY Indoor Garden

IKEA continually proves itself to be one of the most environmentally-friendly companies on the planet. The Swedish home furnishings retailer introduced a hydroponic garden last year that allows you to grow fresh produce in your home without any soil or gardening experience, and the company ditched Styrofoam packaging for biodegradable packaging that you can actually put in your garden to nourish your plants.

The latest sustainable endeavor by IKEA is the Growroom, a spherical, multi-tiered indoor garden that you can build at home because the design is open-source. This thing is so big, it’s actually designed to sustainably grow enough food to feed a whole neighborhood.

Space10, the IKEA lab that explores sustainable solutions for future urban living, says in the open-source plan:

“It is designed to support our everyday sense of well-being in the cities by creating a small oasis or ‘pause’ architecture in our high paced societal scenery and enables people to connect with nature as we smell and taste the abundance of herbs and plants.”

The beauty of the Growroom is that fruits and vegetables can be grown in abundance virtually anywhere, including urban dwellings. In cities where there are food desserts, the Growroom allows communities to work together to create and strengthen bonds, provide healthy food, and teach children about nature.

Space10 continues:

“Local food represents a serious alternative to the global food model. It reduces food miles, our pressure on the environment, and educates our children of where food actually comes from. The challenge is that traditional farming takes up a lot of space and space is a scarce resource in our urban environments.”

Once completed, the garden measures 2.8 by 2.5 meters (9 by 8.2 feet). Water and light easily reach the growing fruits and veggies through the interlocking pieces without leaking through to the other side, so you won’t have mess after tending to your plants. Its Creative Commons license means you can keep adding to the design.

“The pavilion, built as a sphere, can stand freely in any context and points in a direction of expanding contemporary and shared architecture.

The overlapping slices ensure that water and light can reach the vegetation on each level, without reaching the visitor within and thereby functions as a growth activator for the vegetation and shelter for the visitor.”

Yup, it’s big enough that you can sit in it.

Source: IFLScience!

Oh, and about that open-source design… It was created that way with smaller communities in mind, according to Space10:

“It doesn’t make sense to promote local food production and then start shipping it across oceans and continents.”

If you’re interested in building your own Growroom, you can find the design on Space10’s site.

Source:

Space10

Image Source:

IFLScience!

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About Julie Fidler:
	Julie Fidler is a freelance writer, legal blogger, and the author of Adventures in Holy Matrimony: For Better or the Absolute Worst. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two ridiculously spoiled cats. She occasionally pontificates on her blog.