It’s like searching for a needle among haystacks – an 8mm x 6mm silver capsule is no larger than a coin and believed to have been lost somewhere along the vast desert highway of Australia’s largest state.

Rio Tinto, a mining company, apologized Monday for supporting the state government’s efforts to locate the capsule. It contains Caesium137, a radioactive material used in mining equipment.

Rio Tinto stated that it had checked all roads from the Gudai Darri mine site, remote northern Western Australia. This is where the device was found before it was taken by a contractor for transport to Perth.

Authorities believe that the capsule emitting both gamma- and beta rays fell from a truck while it was traveling along the Great Northern Highway for 1,400 kilometers (870 miles), which is longer than the California coastline.

Authorities warn that the chances of it being found are slim due to its small size and the distance involved.

There are also fears that it could have been transported further away from the search area, creating a radioactive risk to anyone who finds it over the next 300-years.

What happened to it?

On Friday, state authorities raised the alarm, alerting residents about the existence of a radioactive leakage in a large part of the state’s southern region, including the suburbs north of Perth, which is home to approximately 2 million people.

The capsule was found in a box on January 10, according to Rio Tinto officials, and taken by a contractor from Rio Tinto’s Gudai-Darri minesite on January 12.

The vehicle was on the road for four days and arrived in Perth on January 16. It was unloaded at inspection on January 25, but it was then discovered to be missing.

“Upon opening the box, we found the gauge had been broken apart with one of four mounting bolts missing and the source itself and all the screws missing,” stated the Department of Fire and Emergency Services.

The package was damaged by the strong vibrations of bumpy roads, which dislodged the mounting bolt that had held it in place.

It is extremely dangerous.

Experts warn that Caesium137 can cause serious health problems in people who come in contact with it. This includes skin burns, radiation sickness, and possibly deadly cancer risks for anyone exposed for extended periods of time.

Radiation Services WA, which provides radiation protection advice, states that standing within one meter from the capsule for about an hour would deliver approximately 1.6 millisieverts, or 17 standard chest radiographs.

The capsule could cause severe damage to your fingers and surrounding tissues if you pick it up, according to the company in a statement.

Ivan Kempson, a University of Southern Australia associate professor in Biophysics, stated that the worst scenario would involve a curious child taking the capsule and placing it in their pocket.

Kempson stated, “This is uncommon but it could happen. It has happened before.” “There have been past cases of radiation poisoning in people who found similar items, but these were far more severe than the current capsule.”

“We all are exposed to radiation from the things we eat and the environment around us, but our primary concern is the possible health effects on the person who finds the capsule.”

It is rare to lose a radioactive device.

Experts were shocked by the incident, as they said that radioactive materials such as Caesium137 are highly controlled and have strict protocols for storage, transport, and disposal.

Rio Tinto stated that it transports and stores hazardous goods as part of its business. It also hires experts to handle radioactive materials. It was part of a density gage used at Gudai Darri mine site to determine the density of iron ore feed for the crushing circuit, the company stated in a statement.

Radiation Services WA claims radioactive substances can be transported across Western Australia every day without any problems. It stated that there was a failure in the controls and it did not have anything to do with the capsule’s destruction.

Pradip Deb is a radiation safety officer and lecturer at RMIT University in Melbourne. He said that the capsule’s loss was unusual because Australian safety regulations require them to be transported with high-quality cases.

Rio Tinto did not release the name of the company that transported the device.

What is the status of the search?

Authorities are trying to locate the device using specialized radiation detection equipment that can be used to scan vehicles moving slowly along the highway at 50 km/h (31 mi/h).

The DFES stated Monday that it would take five days to complete the original route.

Dale Bailey, an expert in medical imaging science at the University of Sydney, stated that the slow speed was necessary to allow the equipment to detect the radiation.

He said that radiation detectors mounted on vehicles can detect radiation higher than the natural levels. However, the relative low radiation content in the source would mean that they would need to sweep the area very slowly.

Officials have advised the public to stay at least five metres from the device. However, they acknowledged that it might be difficult to see from far away.

“What we are not doing is trying find a tiny device by our eyesight. Officials at DFES said that radiation detectors are being used to locate the gamma rays.

There are concerns that the capsule might not be in the search area anymore – authorities believe it could have been carried a longer distance by a vehicle’s tire or dispersed by wild animals including birds.

“Imagine it was a bird-of-prey, for example, that picked up the capsule and carried it away from the original search area. There are so many uncertainties and it’ll pose more problems,” stated Dave Sweeney of the Australian Conservation Foundation. Sweeney is a nuclear policy analyst and environmental advocate.

“This source must be secured and recovered, but there are many variables that can change and we don’t know what might happen.”

What happens if it isn’t found?

Caesium137 has a half life of around 30 years. This means that the capsule’s radioactivity after three decades will halve and then halve again after 60 years.

Deb, RMIT University, stated that the capsule could become radioactive in 300 years.

Deb explained that Caesium-137 is a sealed source. This means that if the capsule is not found, it will not contaminate soil or transfer radioactivity to the soil.

Kempson,