![]() ![]() Transport of sources between locations often requires prior submission of regulatory documents. “They would have to go through a federal import process as well.” “The Radiological Council of WA or any radiation health unit in any state or territory in Australia, or around the world, knows each and every single source – they have a database,” Steen said. “If you swallow this source, you’re likely to get local ulceration in the gut and that can lead to a rupture.” How many similar capsules exist?Īccording to Radiation Services WA, there are thousands of radioactive sources around the state that are used and transported daily without issue. Caesium “would go to the bone, because that’s just what caesium does … then you’re going to have continuous radiation by the beta particles and the gamma rays. “When you get contaminated, it’s in your body,” he said. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. For more information see our Privacy Policy. Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. Steen said a radioactive source like the missing capsule was typically designed to be left in place for a lifespan of about 15 years, with yearly regulatory checks. The gamma rays emitted by the caesium-137 penetrate through the pipe and are picked up on the other side by a detector. ![]() “What they look at is the rate of flow or level in a pipe,” Steen said. They are widely used in the mining, and oil and gas industries. The general manager of Radiation Services WA, Lauren Steen, said capsules like these are commonly used industrially as fixed radiation gauges, which measure the density and flow of materials. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup The caesium-137 is encapsulated by steel, which prevents beta particles from penetrating through. In the missing capsule, the caesium is bound in a “ceramic matrix” rather than existing in a loose powder form. Caesium-137 is a radioactive metal with a half-life of 30.05 years – meaning in three decades it will have half of its original activity. The missing capsule is a 19-GBq (gigabecquerel, a unit of radioactive decay) caesium-137 ceramic source, commonly used in radiation gauges. The department said earlier it was using radiation detection equipment that could be fitted to vehicles in the search. WA’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services on Monday said radiation specialists were searching along the Great Northern Highway by “driving north and south directions at slow speeds”. ![]()
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