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This capsule is tiny – but dangerous.
It’s like losing a needle in a haystack: somewhere along a long desert road in Western Australia, a tiny radioactive capsule has disappeared. It was part of a radiation meter in a mining machine. The capsule apparently fell off a truck during transport from a mine north of the mining town of Newman to a depot near the metropolis of Perth.
This apparently happened in the second week of January. However, according to information from TV broadcaster ABC, their absence was only noticed on January 25 when the truck was unloaded. It is assumed that strong vibrations from bumpy roads loosened a fastening screw, which allowed the capsule to fall out.
The Western Australia Department of Health informed the public about the incident late on Friday (local time).
Very dangerous for humans
The capsule emits “a fair amount of radiation,” said Andrew Robertson, the state’s health officer. Within a radius of one meter, this is about as high as ten X-rays within one hour – or the amount of natural radiation that a person is exposed to over a whole year.
“The capsule emits both beta and gamma rays. If you get close to her, you can suffer skin damage, including skin burns,” Robertson said. In addition, cesium-137 puts humans at risk of radiation sickness and potentially fatal cancer.
Tiny capsule in huge area hard to find
Measuring six by eight millimeters, the tiny capsule is smaller than a five-rappler. The section of the Great Northern Highway along which it could have disappeared is all the greater: 1400 kilometers – that corresponds to about four trips across Switzerland.
Authorities determined the driver’s exact route using the truck’s GPS data. Fire and rescue teams are now searching the area with radiation detectors. However, due to the capsule’s tiny size and vast distances, the chance of finding it is very slim, authorities warn.
There are also concerns that the pod may have been carried further out of the search area: it may have become entangled in the tires of another vehicle, or it may have been picked up and carried away by animals, including birds.
Capsule still radioactive for 300 years
“Usually, cesium-137 is a sealed source. That means if it’s not broken, it won’t contaminate the ground or the environment,” Pradip Deb, lecturer and radiation safety officer at RMIT University in Melbourne, told CNN. Cesium-137 has a half-life of about 30 years and could still be radioactive for the next 300 years, Deb added.
Roger Cook (57), Deputy Prime Minister of Western Australia, said he could not decide whether Rio Tinto, the operator of the mine, would be held accountable for the incident. (SDA/hei)