Search ongoing for missing radioactive capsule in Western Australia

The multinational mining company Rio Tinto has apologized for losing a small, highly-radioactive capsule along a 1,400-kilometre route in Western Australia.

The pea-sized capsule is just 6 millimetres in diameter and 8 millimetres long, according to the Australian Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) — but it apparently still packs a radioactive punch.

The authority announced the disappearance of the capsule on Friday, two days after they were notified by Rio Tinto.

It is believed that the tiny capsule, which contains a small quantity of radioactive Caesium-137, fell from a delivery truck during transport from a desert mine site to the city of Perth.

Australian authorities have been searching the transportation route — roughly the same distance as Ottawa, Ont. to Regina — since they were notified of the disappearance on Jan. 25. Australians have been warned the silver capsule could have unknowingly become lodged in a car tire.

Emergency services are using specialized radiation detecting equipment to locate the capsule. They said their chances of finding the device are “pretty good,” as per the BBC.

Authorities have said the capsule cannot be weaponized, and if a citizen happens to locate it, they should not touch it under any circumstances and instead call local authorities.

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DFES said exposure to the capsule’s substance could cause radiation burns and radiation sickness; coming into contact with the irradiated capsule would deliver the equivalent of receiving 10 X-rays in an hour. Prolonged exposure to any radiation can cause cancer.

The authority said the radioactive substance Caesium-137 is used within gauges for mining operations.

Rio Tinto, the world’s second-largest metals and mining corporation, said it will conduct an internal investigation into how the capsule became lost.

“We recognize this is clearly very concerning and are sorry for the alarm it has caused in the Western Australian community,” chief executive Simon Trott said in a statement released Sunday. “As well as fully supporting the relevant authorities, we have launched our own investigation to understand how the capsule was lost in transit.”

At the time of its disappearance, the radioactive capsule was being transported by a qualified subcontracted company. Before its transportation, officials confirmed the capsule was on the delivery truck. When the delivery arrived in Perth on Jan. 25, the capsule was no longer there.

“Upon opening the package, it was found that the gauge was broken apart with one of the four mounting bolts missing and the source itself and all screws on the gauge also missing,” wrote DFES in a statement.

Police determined the incident to be an accident and no criminal charges are likely.

This is not the first time Rio Tinto’s reputation has come under fire in Australia. In 2020, the company destroyed 46,000-year-old sacred Aboriginal rock shelters in Western Australia when expanding an iron ore mine.

— With files from The Associated Press