Australian authorities have found the radioactive capsule that had been missing in Western Australia for two weeks. The Minister of Emergency Situations announced this on Wednesday, the Reuters news agency reported. “We have found the needle in a haystack,” the minister said at a press conference. Inside the capsule is a small amount of radioactive cesium-137, which is used in mining activities.
The small capsule, about six to eight millimeters, had fallen out of a truck during transport. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the capsule was packed on January 10 and the shipment arrived at its destination on January 16. But when the package was unpacked for inspection on Jan. 25, workers found the shipment had fallen apart and the capsule was missing.
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A massive search was launched on Monday along the nearly 900-mile (1,400 km) route. Authorities and radiation experts drove slowly up and down the highway for days in search of the lost object. The company responsible for the transport carried out radiological research in the areas and on the roads where the capsule was possible. Any passers-by who have come into contact with the object have been asked to seek urgent medical attention, although the health risks are very limited. If you sit a few hours away from the source for a few hours, you will receive a radiation dose that is approximately equal to a CT scan. However, the skin may turn red if it comes into contact with the capsule.