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A radioactive capsule has gone missing in Australia. It is small and potentially deadly

A radioactive capsule has gone missing in Australia. It is small and potentially

It's like looking for a needle in a haystack - an 8mm by 6mm silver capsule, no bigger than a dime, believed to have been lost somewhere along a major highway in Australia.

Mining company Rio Tinto apologized for the incident, saying it was supporting government efforts to find the capsule, which contains Caesium-137, a highly radioactive substance used in mining equipment.

Rio Tinto said it had checked all routes in and out of the Gudai-Darri mine site in northern Western Australia, where the equipment was located before a contractor took it for the journey south to the state capital, Perth.

Authorities believe the capsule, which emits gamma and beta rays, fell from the back of a truck.

Because of the capsule's small size and the great distances involved, authorities warn that the chances of finding it are slim.

The fear is that it may have already been transported further away from the search area, creating a radioactive health hazard for anyone who encounters it for the next 300 years.

How did it disappear?

State authorities raised the alarm on Friday, warning residents of a radioactive spill in a southern area of ​​the state, including the northeastern suburbs of Perth, the state capital, home to about 2 million people.

According to authorities, the capsule was placed inside a package on January 10 and collected from Rio Tinto's Gudai-Darri mine by a contractor on January 12.

The vehicle spent four days on the road and arrived in Perth on January 16, but was only unloaded for inspection on January 25 - when it was discovered the coin was missing.

A radioactive capsule has gone missing in Australia. It is small and potentially

How dangerous is it?

Experts have warned that Caesium-137 can create serious health problems for people who come into contact with it: skin burns from close exposure, radiation sickness and potentially deadly cancer risks, especially for those unknowingly exposed, to long periods of time.

Radiation Services WA, a company that provides advice on radiation protection, says that standing within one meter of the capsule for one hour would deliver about 1.6 millisieverts (mSv), the equivalent of about 17 standard X-rays.

Grabbing the capsule would cause 'serious damage' to your fingers and surrounding tissue, the company said in a statement.

How rare is it to lose a radioactive device?

The incident has come as a shock to experts, who said the handling of radioactive materials such as Caesium-137 is highly regulated, with strict protocols for their transport, storage and disposal.

Rio Tinto said it regularly transports and stores dangerous goods as part of its business and employs expert contractors to handle radioactive materials. The small capsule was part of a density meter used at the Gudai-Darri mine site to measure the density of iron ore feed, a statement said.

Radiation Services WA says radioactive substances are transported across Western Australia every day without any problems.

"In this case, there appears to be a failure of the control measures normally implemented.