Australian authorities on Wednesday found a radioactive capsule smaller than a coin that was lost in the vast Outback after a nearly week-long search along a 1,400-kilometre stretch of road, authorities said.
The cesium-137 capsule was discovered when a vehicle traveling at 70km/h equipped with specialized detection equipment picked up the radiation, according to Western Australian state officials.
The search team then used portable detection equipment to find the capsule, which was located about 2 meters from the side of the road, they added.
“I want to stress that this is an extraordinary result,” Western Australia’s Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson told a news conference.
“When you consider the scope of the research area, locating this object was a monumental challenge, the search parties literally found the needle in the haystack,” Dawson said.
The army was checking the capsule and it would be taken to a secure facility in the city of Perth on Thursday, he added.
Officials from Western Australia’s emergency response department, defense authorities, radiation specialists and others have been combing a stretch of road for the small capsule that was lost in transit more than two weeks ago.
The radioactive capsule was part of an indicator used to measure the density of iron ore supply from Rio Tinto’s Gudai-Darri mine in the state’s remote Kimberley region. The ore was transported to a facility in the suburbs of Perth, a distance greater than the length of Great Britain.
Officials said the capsule apparently fell from a truck and landed on the side of the road, adding that contamination in the area is unlikely.
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The silver capsule, 6 mm in diameter and 8 mm long, contains Cesium-137 which emits radiation equivalent to 10 X-rays per hour.
People had been told to stay at least five meters from the capsule if they saw it, because exposure could cause radiation burns or radiation sickness. However, driving past was believed to be relatively low risk, similar to taking an X-ray.
Western Australia’s health director, Andrew Robertson, said the capsule was found in a remote area far from any community and it was unlikely anyone had been exposed to radiation.
He said there would be an investigation and prosecutions under the state’s 1975 radiation safety laws.
The maximum penalty for failing to handle radioactive substances safely is A$1,000 and A$50 a day if the offense continues, although the state government said on Wednesday it was considering a change to the laws to allow for higher penalties.
