In the American city of Houston, an industrial device with a radioactive substance disappeared. This was announced on Monday, March 13, by the Texas Department of Health on its Twitter.
According to the department, the missing device is a radiographic camera, which belongs to Statewide Maintenance and weighs about 24 kg. Inside it is radioactive material. There are several layers of protection around it, so the department assures that the level of radiation for others does not pose a danger. At the same time, employees of the department emphasize that the camera should not be opened in any case, and upon detection, they were asked to call 911.
The department added that the camera disappeared on March 9 and has not yet been found. Before disappearing, the device was used in the construction industry to obtain radiographic images. The cost of the missing device is estimated at $15,000-20,000. A reward has been set for the return of the camera.
Earlier, on January 25, a capsule with radioactive cesium-137 went missing in Australia. During transportation, the capsule fell out through the bolt hole, which became loose from vibration. This happened on a highway with a length of about 1.4 thousand km. Local authorities have warned drivers to check the tires of the cars in case the capsule got stuck in them.
On October 5, 2022, it was reported that there was a leak in the reactor building of the non-functioning German nuclear power plant (NPP) Brunsbüttel. The incident took place in the city of the same name in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. Operating company Vattenfall found a small area of radioactive contamination near the leak.
