Subhechcha Ganguly 
Authorities reported that a radioactive capsule used in mining was misplaced while travelling to Perth, the state’s capital, prompting a radiation notice for several areas of Western Australia on Saturday. Authorities in the biggest state in Australia sent out the warning on Friday regarding a “radioactive chemical danger” in a number of areas, including Perth. The Department of Fire and Emergency Services said that the tiny, silver capsule carrying Caesium-137 went missing during transfer from northeast suburbs of Perth to north of Newman, a small town in the remote Kimberley region.
The material is utilised in gauges during mining operations. According to the EPA, exposure to this material in the environment can cause serious radiation sickness, burns, and occasionally even death. Internal exposure to Cs-137 allows the radioactive substance to be disseminated throughout the soft tissues, particularly muscle tissue, exposing these tissues to beta particles and gamma radiation and increasing the risk of cancer. This exposure can occur through ingestion or inhalation.According to health officials, the radiation exposure was equivalent to getting 10 X-rays in a single hour.
The Pilbara, Midwest Gascoyne, Goldfields-Midlands, and Perth Metropolitan regions all had “radioactive substance risk,” according to a health notice released on Friday by the Department of Emergency and Fire Services. Areas near the mining site, north of Newman, including the transport depot, according to DFES Country North Chief Superintendent David Gill, have been searched but not successfully.
Bidisha Mohanty
