Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto apologized Monday after losing a tiny capsule, but with levels of radiation dangerous to human health, on January 10 in Western Australia.
The eight-by-six-millimeter silver capsule used in mining operations contains a radioactive substance called Cesium-137, according to the Western Australia State Department of Health.
Emergency services said the capsule disappeared while being transported by truck a distance of about 1,400 kilometers from a mine near the remote town of Newman to the northern suburbs of Perth, a city of 2.1 million people. .
“We recognize that this situation is clearly a cause for great concern and we regret the concern it has caused in the Western Australian community,” Rio Tinto Iron Ore chief executive said.
“We have launched our own investigation to understand how the capsule may have been lost,” Simon Trott added in a statement.
The radioactive capsule, which is part of the equipment used in the mining industry to measure the density of iron ore, was transported by a company certified by Rio Tinto, Trott said.
Health authorities, who announced the incident on Friday, warned the public to avoid touching or even staying within five meters of the capsule.
Cesium-137 emits dangerous amounts of radiation, the equivalent of receiving ten X-rays in one hour. The capsule can cause skin burns and prolonged exposure can cause cancer.
Last week, a fire department spokesman said searches for the pod began in populated areas along the truck’s path, but conceded it could take weeks.
The truck arrived at a Perth depot on January 16, but authorities were not alerted to the incident until Wednesday, after the company responsible for the transport reported it missing.
The police determined that the disappearance was an accident and not a criminal case.
Source: TSF
