28 March 2011

 The Japanese authorities are facing a serious situation on the Fukushima nuclear site.
Taking account of the difficult situation, it nonetheless is unlikely that new leakages will cause, at distances over 30 km, any consequences more serious than those already observed.

 In these circumstances, we formally advise against any travel in the prefectures of Miyagi, Fukushima, Ibaraki & Tochigi . For French nationals living in these districts, it is in any case advisable to follow the instructions given by the Japanese authorites. In addition, it is particularly important to follow the recommendations set out below.

 For the prefectures of Yamagata, Niigata, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa & Yamanashi,, the levels of radioactivity observed remain relatively low (for example in Tokyo where they are double the background level of natural radiation) and do not call for travel restrictions on travel or on visiting outdoor public spaces.

Furthermore, certain simple precautions are advised:

 Unless told otherwise by the Japanese authorities, tap-water is drinkable; for very young children, use bottled water for preference.

 Vary your diet, avoiding as much as possible the prolonged consumption of leafy vegetables. Avoid drinking fresh milk for the next three weeks.

 So as to avoid transferring contaminants from outdoors to the inside of buildings, leave your shoes outside, since radioactive particles can stick to the soles of shoes.

 Wash your hands more frequently, using liquid soap so as to limit involuntary exposure from hand to mouth.

 Finally, for all other prefectures in Japan, no particular precaution need be taken, except for vigiliance about the origin of fresh produce.

NOTE BY ACDN

These precautions could be transferred to France as soon as the IRSN and the French Government consider that the Fukushima cloud has drifted in past France’s borders.