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Tiny radioactive capsule missing on 870-mile stretch of road

Western Australia's Department of Fire and Emergency Services is searching for the tiny capsule
Western Australia's Department of Fire and Emergency Services is searching for the tiny capsule

A tiny but dangerous radioactive capsule that can cause cancer and skin burns has been lost in the West Australian outback, triggering an urgent health warning.

As a hunt was launched, people were warned to stay away from the 8mm high and 6mm wide capsule, which fell off a truck somewhere on an 870 mile journey between Perth and a mine site north of Newman.

The capsule was lost sometime after Jan 10 and was intended for use in a radioactive gauge, a device commonly used in mining to measure the density of rocks.

The small, round silver capsule contains a small quantity of radioactive Caesium-137 but "quite a large radiation dose". It is thought it fell through a bolthole after a bolt was knocked loose by a container collapsing from vibrations on the trip.

Motorists who have travelled the Great Northern Highway between Newman and Perth since Jan 10 have been told to check their tyres, in case the capsule is stuck in them, authorities said at an emergency press conference on Friday.

They warned that anyone getting close to it would be exposed to the same amount of radiation as 10 X-rays in an hour, or a year’s worth of natural radiation a body is exposed to.

"It emits both beta rays and gamma rays so if you have it close to you, you could either end up with skin damage including skin burns," said Andy Robertson, chief health officer of Western Australia.

"And if you have it long enough near you, it could cause acute radiation sickness. Now that will take a period of time, but obviously we are recommending people not be close to it or hang on to it."

While the capsule can make people ill, it cannot be weaponised. It has a half life of 30 years.

Anyone finding the capsule should ring an emergency number but otherwise steer at least five metres clear of it, authorities said.

Mr Robertson said the main concern is that someone will pick up the capsule, which is about the size of an Australian 10 cent piece, without realising it is dangerous.

“They may think it is something interesting and keep it, or keep it in their room, keep it in their car, or give it to someone,” he said.

“One of the long-term risks of being exposed to a source like this is cancer,” he added. “Obviously we feel that it is important that we warn the community that if they do come across this source, they need to take great care.”

David Gill, Country North chief superintendent at the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES), admitted it would be difficult to find such a tiny object over such a large distance.

"The start and finish of the transportation from the mine site north of Newman, and the transport depot in Perth, are among some of the locations that were searched, and being searched yesterday, but the capsule remains unfound," he said on Friday.

"There are challenges here. It is 1,400 kilometres between the mine site … to the north of Newman, and Perth."

A health alert issued by the DFES on Friday afternoon warned of a “radioactive substance risk in parts of the Pilbara, Midwest Gascoyne, Goldfields-Midlands and Perth Metropolitan regions".