Nuclear authority to join search for radioactive capsule in Australia
2023.01.31 02:18
Nuclear authority to join search for radioactive capsule in Australia
By Ray Johnson
Budrigannews.com – Australia’s nuclear safety agency said on Tuesday that it had sent a team with specialized car-mounted and portable detection equipment to join the search for a tiny radioactive capsule that was missing somewhere in the outback.
The capsule, which is believed to have fallen from a truck that had traveled approximately 1,400 kilometres (870 miles) in Western Australia, has been the subject of a week-long search by authorities. A radiation alert was issued for the vast majority of the state as a result of the loss.
Rio Tinto (NYSE:) had given the capsule, which was part of a gauge for determining the density of iron ore feed, to them. Limited to a transportation specialist. On Monday, Rio expressed regret for the defeat, which occurred within the previous two weeks.
In a statement, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency stated that it was collaborating with the government of Western Australia to locate the capsule. In addition, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization has sent detection and imaging equipment as well as specialists in radiation services.
The truck traveled a distance that was greater than the length of Great Britain from a small town in the remote Kimberley region north of Newman to a storage facility in the northeast suburbs of Perth.
On Tuesday, state emergency officials issued a new warning to motorists on Australia’s longest highway to be cautious when approaching the search parties because the radar detector-carrying vehicles are moving slowly.
In a statement released late on Monday, Department of Fire and Emergency Services Incident Controller Darryl Ray stated, “It will take approximately five days to travel the original route, an estimated 1400kms, with crews traveling north and south along Great Northern Highway.”
On January 12, Rio Tinto’s Gudai-Darri mine site received the gauge. On January 25, the gauge was found to be broken apart when it was unpacked for inspection. One of the four mounting bolts was missing, and the gauge’s screws were also missing.
The capsule fell out of the package and then out of a gap in the truck, causing the screws and bolt to come loose, according to authorities.
Caesium-137, which has a diameter of 6 mm and a length of 8 mm, is contained within the silver capsule, which produces radiation that is equivalent to 10 X-rays per hour.
Although experts have stated that driving past the capsule would be relatively low risk, comparable to taking an X-ray, people have been advised to stay at least five meters (16.5 feet) away from it because exposure could cause radiation burns or radiation sickness.
