The Australian Nuclear Safety Agency (ASPANSA) indicated on Tuesday that it joins the search for the radioactive capsule lost by the mining company Rio Tinto in the Western Australian desert.
ARPANSA said in a statement that as of today “a team with portable detection instruments and specialized automobiles to support the search” is collaborating in the tasks between the Pilbara region, where Rio Tinto operates more than a dozen mines, and the city of Perth, a route of some 1,400 kilometers – a distance longer than the length of Great Britain.
the size of a coin
The tiny capsule, 6 millimeters in diameter and 8 millimeters high, contains a “small amount” of the radioactive substance Cesium-137, used in mining, and was lost while being transported by truck between January 10 and 16, the Western Australia Department of Health explained on Friday.
ARPANSA, the Australian Government’s main authority on radiation protection and nuclear safety, indicated today that its support for the operation is part of “the national emergency response capacity and radiation protection” and is intended to “protect the community from the harmful effects of radiation”.
Firefighters and Emergencies
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) is leading the operation in which the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization (ANSTO) also participates.
Western Australia emergency teams today issued a new warning for motorists to circulate through the area where the radioactive object is believed to have been lost and run into the search party.
“Radiation specialists and DFES are searching along the Great Northern Highway driving north and south at low speed. Be careful when approaching and be careful when overtaking.”
radiation burns
Authorities warned, in a previous alert, about the risks of exposure to this toxic substance, which include “radiation burns or radiation sickness,” as cancer.
The department asks that in case of sighting any suspicious material, people remain at least five meters away, do not touch it, do not keep it in bags or backpacks and do not take it to their cars, but report it “immediately” to the authorities.
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“The risk to the community at large is relatively low, however it is important to be aware of the risks and know what to do if you see the capsule,” the alert states.
The toxic material was packaged on January 10 and the vehicle arrived in Perth six days later, but it was not until the 25th that cargo inspectors realized that one of the packages was torn and one of those tiny letters capsules had been lost on the way.