A tiny radioactive capsule travelling from a Rio Tinto mine has been lost in Western Australia – but what does a mine do with radioactive capsule in the first place?
It has been almost a week since Rio Tinto confirmed that a small radioactive capsule fell off a truck that was delivering it from the Pilbara mine to Malaga depot.
Lost somewhere in a 1400km stretch, authorities have conceded that the 8x6mm capsule may never be found, but they are urging the public to remain vigilant.
Rio Tinto has a network of 16 iron ore mines in the Pilbara region, but how does a radioactive capsule factor into these operations?
According to the ABC, it was part of a gauge commonly used to measure radioactivity in oil- and gas-processing plants.
In mining, nuclear or radioactive techniques are mainly used in uranium, coal and oil recovery. Radioactivity can be used to seperate ore and waste rock and to determine the grade of the ore.
The device had been used at Rio’s Gudai-Darri mine to measure the density of iron ore feed and was being transported to the depot by a radioactive materials handler.
The lost capsule is a 19-gigabecquerel caesium 137 ceramic source that has the potential to cause radiation burns to anyone who comes in contact with it.
The capsules are typically transported in a highly protective casing that is subjected to rigorous testing for vibrations, heat and high impact.
Rio Tinto has apologised for the loss and has promised to launch an investigation into the incident.
“We are taking this incident very seriously. We recognise this is clearly very concerning and are sorry for the alarm it has caused in the Western Australian community,” Rio Tinto head of iron ore division Simon Trott said in a statement.
Authorities believe the container in which the capsule was housed collapsed due to road vibrations and the unit fell through a bolt hole. They are urging anyone who encounters the capsule to stay at least 5m away and report it to the Department of Fire and Emergency Services.