Quick search begins for missing tiny radioactive capsule in Western Australia

• Caesium-137 is present in the casing, and touching it could result in serious disease.
• The general population has been advised to avoid the radioactive capsule if they see it.
• DFES is requesting that anyone who sees the object notify them.

In Western Australia, a quick search is being conducted after a tiny capsule containing radioactive material vanished.

A small amount of radioactive Caesium-137 is present in the casing, and touching it could result in serious disease.

It was lost in mid-January between the towns of Newman and Perth, a distance of about 1,400 kilometers (870 miles).

The general population has been advised to avoid the capsule if they see it.

Between January 10 and 16, it was lost while being transported on a truck between a mine located in the Pilbara region, north of Newman, and northern sections of Perth. A chemical frequently found in mining activities is caesium-137.

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The capsule cannot be weaponized, according to the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES), although it may result in radiation burns and longer-term hazards like cancer.

According to Dr. Andrew Robertson, the state’s top medical officer and chair of the Radiological Council, the object emits a “reasonable” quantity of radiation.

“Our concern is that someone will pick it up, not knowing what it is,” he said. “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.”

An illustration of the 6mm by 8mm object has been made available by DFES.

The locations where the transit started and stopped have been investigated, and attempts are now being made to determine the precise route and stops that were made in order to focus the search.

The DFES is requesting that anyone who sees the object notify them and, if they believe they have come into touch with it, to get emergency medical care.

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