A small but lethal radioactive capsule that was reported lost from Western Australia was miraculously discovered after it fell off a vehicle on a country road.
The “radioactive material,” which had been missing for three weeks, has been discovered and “contained,” according to WA officials on Wednesday.
Finding “a needle in a haystack” is how some have compared the successful hunt for the caesium-137 capsule over a 1400km journey.
People who thought they may have handled the capsule were sent urgent cautions to “seek immediate medical assistance… or contact a hospital emergency room.”
The authorities in West Australia, however, breathed a huge sigh of relief as the anxiety about the cancer-causing item was finally put to an end.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) issued a statement stating that “the radioactive material has been located and no longer presents a concern to the population.”
The 8mm by 6mm object broke off of a density gauge last month while it was being transported by truck from a Rio Tinto mine in the Pilbara to Perth.
A representative for Rio Tinto stated that a skilled operator of radioactive materials misplaced the missing capsule.
On the Great Northern Highway, close to Newman, was where the capsule could be found.
A search vehicle moving at 70 km/h picked up radiation coming from the capsule with the use of specialized equipment, which led to the discovery of the object.
After that, it was discovered two meters from the side of the road using portable search equipment.
Specialists from DFES and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization were part of the search teams.
Crews had been searching the roadway for the capsule for six days; handling it may result in radiation burns, illness, or even death.
Stephen Dawson, minister of emergency services, stated that given the size of the search, the finding was amazing.
He told reporters, “This is an astounding achievement… they have very literally identified the needle in the haystack.”
The occurrence is the subject of a government inquiry, and the health minister will get the results.
Officials from the defense department are confirming the identity of the capsule, which has been put in a lead container for security.
Before being sent to a medical institution in Perth, it will be kept in a safe place in Newman.
The capsule did not seem to have migrated, said to Chief Health Officer Andy Robertson, and no injuries were indicated.
The material has been securely retrieved and will be sent to Newman for overnight storage before being delivered to a WA Health facility in Perth on Thursday, 2 February.
Despite its small size, the capsule carried “quite a high radiation dosage,” according to Dr. Robertson.
The amount of natural radiation we would be exposed to in a year merely by moving about, according to him, is equivalent to obtaining around 10 X-rays every hour.
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