Australia looking for the missing capsule with the radioactive substance cesium, writes ABC News. The capsule was lost while being transported by truck through the Australian desert.
Despite its tiny size (8 by 6 mm), the capsule, or rather, its contents, poses a serious threat. The cesium-137 contained in it can cause radiation burns, and with prolonged contact - radiation sickness and oncology.
Western Australia's chief health officer, Andrew Robertson, warned anyone who sees the capsule not to pick it up and let other people near it.
The search for the capsule is carried out on a section of the road, on which, presumably, it could be lost after falling from a truck. Due to the small size of the capsule, the state authorities fear that it could get stuck in the tread of car tires. Andrew Robertson does not exclude that the entire 1400-kilometer section of the motorway will have to be searched.
