You can once again wander in the Australian outback without fear of accidental radiation exposure. Authorities have announced that the search for a missing radioactive capsule was successful. Australia’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) says the dangerous object was discovered on the roadside in the late morning of Feb. 1. It does not believe anyone was irradiated while the capsule was missing, but health and safety officials are conducting a thorough investigation.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services started its search last month when a truck traveling from a mine near the town of Newman arrived in Perth without the capsule. Inside the minuscule 6-by-8 mm ceramic housing is a sample of highly radioactive cesium-137. The isotope is used in equipment like the lead-line gauge mining firm Rio Tinto shipped to Perth for repairs.
Reports say the equipment was secured in accordance with radiation safety regulations. Still, authorities believe a screw came loose inside the gauge, allowing the radioactive source to fall through a hole. That left the DFES with hundreds of miles of Great Northern Highway to search. Andrew Robertson, the state’s chief health officer, said last week that the capsule emitted almost two millisieverts of radiation per hour, which is the same as more than 10 chest X-rays or a year of background exposure at sea level. Even brief exposure could be dangerous, and handling the capsule could result in radiation burns. Similar radioactive sources have been responsible for deaths when they find their way to unexpected places.
Here's the #radioactive #capsule in question, which was found 74kms south of Newman at 11am today. The capsule has a serial number, which has been used to verify that this is indeed the object that has been the focus of our search for the past week. https://t.co/fsCW0H88rW #WA pic.twitter.com/AkB78jqic8
— DFES (@dfes_wa) February 1, 2023
Authorities warned anyone who saw the capsule to stay at least five meters away and call DFES, but being so tiny, it was unlikely anyone could see it from that distance. Luckily, the stretch of the Great Northern Highway where it was lost is isolated. The biggest concern was that the capsule would become lodged in a tire, which could transport it to a more populated area. A team using specialized radiation detectors was able to key in on the cask’s emissions, finally locating it about two meters from the road about 46 miles (74 kilometers) south of Newman — right at the beginning of the truck’s route.
Australia’s Department of Health is investigating, and Robertson notes that the government would be within its rights to file charges if the loss resulted from negligence. However, authorities currently believe it was simply an accident. So far, there are no reports of radiation exposure from the incident.
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