The small, silver capsule, used as a sensor, is just 6mm (0.24 inches) in diameter and 8mm long (Representational image)|IAEA Imagebank (Petr Pavlicek)|CC BY-SA 2.0
A tiny but highly radioactive capsule went missing in Western Australia this month. The mining giant Rio Tinto and authorities are combing through the vast region.
The capsule is lost somewhere in the 870 miles between the town of Newman and the city of Perth.
Smaller than a penny, the capsule contains a small quantity of radioactive Cesium-137, which could cause radiation sickness, burns and serious illness if touched; prolonged exposure can cause cancer.
According to Rio Tinto, the capsule left its Gudai-Darri mine in Western Australia on January 12. It was reported missing on January 25.
The small, silver capsule, used as a sensor, is just 6mm (0.24 inches) in diameter and 8mm long.