(Kitco News) Mining giant Rio Tinto Group lost a "highly radioactive" capsule in the Australian desert as the tiny device could have fallen off a truck along a 1,400-kilometer (870-mile) transport route that goes through the Western Australian desert.
Authorities are looking for the capsule. And the fear is that it could have lodged into someone's tire.
The dangerous substance was in a capsule that was part of a device used to measure the density of iron ore feed. The capsule might have fallen off a truck about two weeks ago during transport.
The truck traveled from the desert mine north of Newman in the Kimberley region to the Australian city of Perth. The vehicle picked up the substance on January 12 and arrived in Perth on January 16. The emergency services were notified only on January 25, when it was discovered that the capsule was missing.
The capsule is very small — 8 millimeters by 6 millimeters (0.31 inches by 0.24 inches) and authorities have warned that it could have gotten stuck in passersby's tires.
The substance inside is the radioactive isotope caesium-137. Exposure to it could lead to radiation burns, and prolonged exposure could cause cancer. However, the risk to the larger community is low.
"Exposure to this substance could cause radiation burns or radiation sickness. The capsule is small (6mm diameter and 8mm tall), round and silver. Risk to the general community is relatively low, however, it is important to be aware of the risks and what to do if you see the capsule," Emergency WA said on its website.
Rio Tinto has apologized for the incident and is taking the case seriously. "We recognize this is clearly very concerning and are sorry for the alarm it has caused in the Western Australian community," Simon Trott, Rio's iron ore division chief, said in a statement Sunday. "As well as fully supporting the relevant authorities, we have launched our own investigation to understand how the capsule was lost in transit."
Western Australia emergency services are working with other states and federal government authorities to locate the radioactive device. The incident is being treated as an accident.
Finding the substance along the 870-mile route will be extremely difficult. In order to locate it, authorities have been scanning radiation levels.
"That's like if you dangled a magnet over a haystack, it's going to give you more of a chance," Reuters quoted Andrew Stuchbery, head of the department of Nuclear Physics & Accelerator Applications at the Australian National University. "If the source just happened to be lying in the middle of the road, you might get lucky... It's quite radioactive so if you get close to it, it will stick out."
People who think they have spotted the capsule are advised to stay at least 5 meters (16.5 feet) away, not touch it, and report it immediately. They are also being told to seek immediate medical attention from their local health unit or a hospital emergency room.
Less than three years ago, Rio Tinto faced heavy criticism for blasting a 46,000-year-old Aboriginal heritage site in Australia. In May 2020, the Anglo-Australian mining giant detonated explosives near the Juukan Gorge caves — one of the oldest known Aboriginal heritage sites in Western Australia.
Following this decision to expand its iron ore mine in Western Pilbara, the company’s then-CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques resigned.
