Australia is looking for a small radioactive capsule that is thought to have been misplaced on a desert roadway. The silver capsule has a diameter of 6 millimetres (mm) and a length of 8 mm.

It also contains caesium-137. The element caesium-137 releases radiation at a rate equivalent to 10 X-rays every hour.

What is caesium?

Caesium is a soft, gold-coloured metal that is used in radioactive monitoring equipment.

What is caesium 137?

Caesium-137 is a radioactive element of the chemical caesium.

The radioactive capsule is believed to have fallen off a truck. The incident has caused a radiation notice to be issued in some regions of western Australia.

Key facts!

• According to news reports, it is not clear how long the radioactive capsule has been missing.
• In addition, it was a component of a gauge that was used to monitor the density of the iron ore feed.
• The authorities believe that vibrations from the truck could be one of the causes that let the radioactive capsule slip from its container.
• The truck was on a thousand kilometres journey from the North to a storage facility in the northeast.
• This is a distance that is greater than the length of Great Britain.
• Thus, the authorities are currently struggling with the difficult task of searching along the truck’s journey.
• Although the risk to the general population is considered to be quite minimal, the authorities have advised the public to maintain a distance of at least five metres.
• Furthermore, any exposure to radiation could result in radiation burns or radiation sickness.

Youtube user “allRadioactive” takes a closer look at Caesium-137.

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