“It’s like if you hang a magnet over a haystack, it’s going to give you more chance,” he said.
“If the source is lying in the middle of the road you might be lucky … It’s quite radioactive so if you go too close to it, it will stick,” he said.
The gauge was lifted from the Gudai-dari mine site in Rio on 12 January. When it was unpacked for inspection on 25 January, the gauge was found to be broken, with one of the four mounting bolts missing and the screw from the gauge also gone.
Officials suspect that vibration from the truck caused the screws and bolts to loosen, and the radioactive capsule from the gauge fell out of the package and then out of a gap in the truck.
Simon Trott, head of Rio’s iron ore division, said in a statement: “We are taking this incident very seriously. We recognize that it is clearly very worrying and appreciates the concern it has caused in the Western Australian community. have regret.”
The silver capsule, 6 millimeters (mm) in diameter and 8 mm long, contains cesium-137 which emits radiation equivalent to 10 X-rays per hour.
Authorities have recommended people stay at least five meters (16.5 feet) away because exposure can cause radiation burns or radiation sickness, although they say the risk to the general community is relatively low.
Stutchberry said, “From what I’ve read, if you walk across it, the risk is comparable to an X-ray. But if you stand next to it or you handle it, it can be very dangerous.”