The two Cesium-137 sources, which belong to the mining company AMG Brasil and which had been missing since the last June 29th, were found this Monday (10th) in a company that resells scrap metal in São Paulo. The information is from the Civil Police of Minas Gerais (PCMG), which did not mention the city of São Paulo where the radioactive content was located.
The suspicion is that the Cesium-137, stored in two stainless steel capsules and externally shielded in stainless steel, was stolen from one of the AMG Brasil units, in the city of Nazareno, in the south of Minas Gerais.
Used in density measuring equipment, the material is not considered highly dangerous by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) depending on the way it is stored, but it can cause damage to health if handled improperly.
According to the police, the material is under expert analysis by the National Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN), and the mining company has already been informed about the location of the boxes. There is still no information on how the material ended up at the scrap company.
“The Civil Police clarifies that the investigations are in progress, in a confidential way for the complete verification of the facts”.
In a note, CNEN informed that the commission was notified by employees of the company where the Cesium-137 sources were found, this Monday morning, and that it had already sent technicians to the place.
Also according to the agency, the boxes with the radioactive content will be taken to the Institute of Energy and Nuclear Research (Ipen), a CNEN unit in São Paulo, where they will be evaluated “as to integrity, dose rates, conditions of use, among other things. ”.
Also in a statement, the mining company AMG Brasil informed that the equipment found, which are slurry meters, “will be forwarded to our company in accordance with the handling and safety guidelines of the National Nuclear Energy Commission”.
“We reaffirm our commitment to act responsibly towards our teams and community. In addition, we appreciate everyone’s commitment and collaboration, as well as the participation of the bodies and entities that are actively acting in the investigations that resulted in the successful location of the equipment”, said AMG Brasil, note.
After the disappearance of the boxes, the mining company filed a police report and also launched an internal, independent investigation to find out how the material was possibly stolen from the unit itself.
According to CNEN standards, the sources contained in stolen equipment are classified as “Category 5, Low Risk” and are not dangerous while they are being “used in pulp density meters or preserving their original protection characteristics (shielding and coating)” , informed the mining company.
“However, AMG Brasil warns that improper handling of sources by people without specific knowledge may pose a risk to health”, he added.
Source: CNN Brasil
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