The searches have been underway for days starting from the journey made by the truck in Western Australia
Very small dimensions, 6 millimeters by 8, and a particularly dangerous content: these are the characteristics of a small radioactive capsule vanished into thin air on 12 January during transport from the Gudai-Darri mining plant in Western Australia to the city of Perth.
What the radioactive capsule contains
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The small radioactive capsule, owned by the Anglo-Australian multinational Rio Tinto, contains a small amount of cesium-137a highly radioactive isotope which forms from the nuclear fission of uranium and which, in very small quantities, is used to calibrate radiation measuring instruments and to measure the density of ferrous materials.
What happened during the transport of the capsule
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It is not yet clear how it was possible to lose such a precious and dangerous device, just as there is no certainty as to when the small capsule was lost. We know that the capsule was loaded onto a truck belonging to a company that works for Rio Tinto last January 12 for a journey of over 1,400 kilometres from the Gudai-Darri mine to a storage facility in the city of Perth.
The discovery was only made on January 25th, during a cargo inspection at the Perth site, nearly ten days after the precious material had been unloaded. The container in which it was well kept was damaged and there was no trace of the small capsule. Stolen? Fallen during transport? The multinational promptly apologized for the incident, confirming its utmost commitment in the search for the lost capsule.
The problem is that given the really small size – it looks like a battery used for watches – and the vast territory to cover it really is like looking for a needle in a haystack, even if using a Geiger counter it could help narrow down the field of searches that have been going on for days across Western Australia, starting with the journey made by the truck.
What happens if you come into contact with the radioactive capsule
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The alarm was spread throughout the area involved in the research due to the dangers of the capsule, capable of emit radiation equal to 10 X-rays per hour. According to the Australian authorities anyone who passes for a few seconds in the vicinity of the capsule would be exposed to the equivalent of natural radiation to which we are exposed throughout a whole calendar year. In detail, the experts explain, coming into contact with the capsule can cause skin damage, burns and radiation poisoning.
January 30, 2023 – 2:22 pm
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