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Rio Tinto has apologized for the loss of a highly radioactive capsule in the Australian outback as authorities scramble to find it.
Simon Trott, chief executive of Rio Tinto’s iron ore division, said in a statement: “We take this incident very seriously. This is clearly very concerning and we regret the concern it has caused in the Western Australian community.”
“In addition to our full support of the relevant authorities, we have launched our own investigation to understand how the capsule was lost in transit.”
Image: The truck carrying the radioactive unit was heading from the Rio Tinto mine in Western Australia to a warehouse in Perth
The mining giant and Australian authorities now face the daunting task of finding a tiny, but potentially lethal, 8 x 6 mm unit that is smaller than a penny.
The tiny silver cylinder contains cesium-137, a highly radioactive isotope that emits the equivalent of 10 x-rays in one hour.
It fell from behind a truck while being transported 870 miles (1,400 km) from a mine in Newman to a warehouse in the Perth suburb of Malaga by a specialist contractor on January 12.
Rio Tinto said the contractor told it the capsule was missing on January 25.
Image: Dimensions of the missing capsule. Pic: WA Fire and Emergency Services Department
Authorities suspect that vibrations from the truck caused screws and bolts to loosen, and the radioactive meter capsule fell out of the package and then exited through a recess in the vehicle.
A radiation alert across Western Australia remains in effect and authorities have asked people to stay at least five meters (16.5 feet) away because exposure could cause radiation burns or illness, although they add that the risk to the general community is relatively low.
The state’s emergency services have put together a risk management team and brought in specialized equipment, including portable radiation detectors. The devices can detect radiation levels within a radius of 20 metres, and can be used from moving vehicles.
The entire 870-mile route will likely have to be searched until the missing unit is found.
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Photo: The investigation will look at the scale and capsule handling at the mine site
Mr Trott said the mining company carried out radiological surveys across the Godai Dare mine site where the device was located, as well as the connecting access road.
Andrew Stochbury of the Australian National University’s Department of Nuclear Physics and Accelerator Applications said the task, while akin to finding the proverbial needle in a haystack, is “not impossible” because the researchers are equipped with radiation detectors.
He said, “It’s like if you hang a magnet over a haystack, it will give you more opportunity.”
“If the source is lying in the middle of the road, you might be in luck… It’s very radioactive, so if you get close to it, it’ll stay out.”
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