Search in Western Australia: how the radioactive capsule was found

Australian forces searched 1,400 kilometers for a tiny radioactive capsule that had fallen from a truck. Days later they found what they were looking for – now the incident is to be investigated.

Two meters from the road in dry red earth between a few bushes, the emergency services find the radioactive capsule. She can hardly be distinguished from the small stones around her. “Considering the size of the area, finding this pod was a monumental challenge,” said Stephen Dawson, Minister for Civil Protection. “The emergency services literally found the needle in the haystack.”

The radioactive capsule was found around 50 kilometers south of the mining town of Newman. In the past few days, teams from the fire brigade and the authority for radiation protection had first searched for the millimeter-sized capsule with hand sensors. Then radiation detectors installed in cars to drive the 1400-kilometer route systematically.

Devices measure gamma rays

“We try not to find this tiny thing with our naked eyes,” said the chief of the national fire brigade. “We use radiation detectors that measure gamma rays. And we have the GPS data from the transport company, so we know the exact route and stops the truck made.”

A vehicle with a built-in measuring device passed the capsule at a speed of 70 km/h when the device indicated suspicious radiation. The emergency services used hand sensors to examine the hard shoulder more closely and found the capsule, which was six by eight millimeters in size.

Contact can cause burns and cancer

The British-Australian mining company Rio Tinto apologized to citizens and offered to pay for the search. “Of course, the capsule should never have been lost,” the company said. “We are sorry that this has happened and we regret the concern this has caused in Western Australia.”

The capsule, just a few millimeters in size, fell from a truck while being transported from a mine near the city of Perth. The capsule is used in mining gauges and contains highly radioactive cesium. If you get too close to the capsule, you risk skin burns and, over time, cancer.

Authorities had asked people to keep a distance of at least five meters when finding the capsule. The challenge lay in the size of the search area. The 1,400-kilometer route roughly corresponds to the distance from Hamburg to Pisa in Italy. At times it was feared that the capsule could have lodged itself in a tire tread of a passing vehicle.

Fire brigade: Capsule probably not leaked

The Rio Tinto group wants to work closely with the authorities to clarify the accident. It is currently assumed that a bolt on the containment came loose due to the vibration while driving and the small capsule fell out through the hole. It was only noticed about two weeks after departure that the capsule was missing.

The radioactive capsule is scheduled to be safely shipped to Perth in a lead container tomorrow. There they will be examined for any damage. However, it is unlikely that the capsule leaked, according to a spokesman for the fire department. It is unlikely that the incident will have legal consequences.