Experts warn toxic capsule missing in WA likely to remain radioactive for 300 years
The toxic capsule missing from WA is likely to remain radioactive for 300 years and the chances of finding it are extremely slim, experts have warned.
A public health alert was issued on Friday afternoon after the 6-8mm capsule containing a small amount of radioactive cesium-137 was reported lost in transit between Rio Tinto’s mine north of Newman, and a depot in Malaga.
University of Sydney Professor of Medical Imaging Dale Bailey said detecting it would be like “finding a needle in a haystack.”
“If the radioactive material is never found, it will continue to disappear through natural radioactive decay to the same level as the surrounding background over a period of about 300 years,” he told The West Australian.
Authorities launched a massive search after the potentially lethal capsule was reported missing on January 25.
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Additional specialized equipment from the Federal Government arrived in WA on Monday to boost the efforts.
“The equipment can be mounted on vehicles so that a thorough search can be carried out from moving vehicles at around 50km/h,” said Darryl Ray, DFES incident controller.
“It will take approximately five days to travel the original route, an estimated 1400kms, with teams traveling north and south along the Great Northern Highway.”
Mr Ray said more equipment would arrive on Wednesday.
Associate Professor Nigel Marks from Curtin’s School of Electrical Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences said that finding the capsule would require “monumental efforts” anyway.
He also criticized the container used to transport the potentially dangerous substance.
“A wooden pallet is not intended for radioactive confinement,” Professor Marks said.
“Nor is the back of a truck. It’s a small object, about the size of a pebble, and can therefore bounce anywhere.”
Camera IconAuthorities launched a mass search when the potentially lethal capsule was reported missing on January 25. Credit: Unknown/7NEWS
While the public was warned to stay at least five meters away from the capsule – which could cause skin burns – both professors agreed that it should not pose a threat to the environment if authorities do not find it.
“If no one or no animal comes into contact with it, it won’t be a problem,” Professor Bailey said.
“If the container is physically breached and the radioactive material were to find its way into a waterway, for example, this is still unlikely to be a problem as the radioactive material is incorporated into a ceramic matrix and will not dissolve in the water .”
Camera IconAuthorities comb WA roads to find a small but dangerous radioactive capsule. Credit: AAPCamera icon The radioactive capsule is smaller than a 10c coin. DFES Credit: NCA NewsWire
Rio Tinto apologized to West Australians on Sunday for the “alarm” caused to the public and revealed it had launched an internal investigation into how the capsule – which contained a “fairly large dose of radiation” – was lost while being transported by its contactor. SGS Australia.
“As part of this investigation, we are working closely with the contractor to better understand what went wrong in this case,” a Rio Tinto spokesperson said in a statement on Monday.
The capsule was packed on 10 January to be sent to Perth for repair before leaving the site for road transport two days later.
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The package containing the capsule arrived in Perth on January 16 and was unloaded and stored in the licensed service provider’s secure radiation store.
On January 25th the meter was unpacked for inspection and it was found that the meter was broken apart with one of the four mounting bolts missing and the source itself and all screws on the meter also missing.
