The capsule, which measures only 6 millimeters in diameter, had been lost during a transport of goods in the west of the country and presents risks of burns or irradiation.
After extensive research, she was finally found. A tiny but dangerously radioactive capsule had been misplaced in Australia while being transported by truck by British-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto. Disappeared between January 11 and 16, her loss was not reported to the public until a week later.
As reported ABCNewslocal authorities announced on Wednesday morning that she had been found by firefighters and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization about fifty kilometers from the town of Newman, in the west of the country.
“The search teams have literally found the needle in the haystack,” said Stephen Dawson, the local emergency services minister.
Radiation risks
The capsule measures 8 mm by 6 mm and contains a radioactive substance, Cesium-137. This material is used in a gauge to measure the density of iron ore. Except that released in the wild, it can lead to burns or worse: acute radiation syndrome.
Residents of the area have been warned of the presence of this dangerous capsule while motorists who have taken the same highway as the transport truck have been asked to check their tires to ensure that it has not become lodged there. .
Authorities and emergency services spent several days searching the area, in an area of more than 1,400 kilometers. An Australian Armed Forces aircraft had also been loaned to try to locate the capsule.
