News Stolen radioactive material found.

AI Thread Summary
Thieves in Mexico stole a truck containing cobalt-60, which was later found abandoned, leading to concerns about radiation exposure. The robbers reportedly opened the container out of curiosity, raising fears for their health, although initial reports indicated they showed no signs of radiation sickness after being admitted to a hospital. This incident echoes past events, including a similar cobalt-60 mishap in 1983 involving scrap metal that contaminated re-bar. Discussions highlight the potential dangers of mishandling radioactive materials and criticize government oversight in managing such substances. Ultimately, the situation underscores the risks associated with ignorance and the handling of hazardous materials.
nsaspook
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These guys made a stupid and 'fatal' mistake.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world...2ef990-5d66-11e3-8d24-31c016b976b2_story.html

The cobalt-60 was found, removed from its casing, in a rural area near the town of Hueypoxtla, about 25 miles from where the truck was stolen. Jimenez said he suspected that curiosity got the better of the thieves, and they opened the box. So far the carjackers have not been arrested, but authorities expect they will not live long.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Wow. I almost feel sorry for these guys. Instant Karma's going to get you...
 
Darwin awards all around.
 
I seem to remember similar situation. Somewhere in the early eighties (or at least I think it was about that time) some guy in Poland have stolen some radioactive source and went home using a public transport (and these were crowded up at the time), with the source in his pocket.
 
It made me think of this:
 
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I read this morning that the amount of cobalt-60 was about 1.5 oz (about 40g). I figure its activity is about 40000 curies. Compare that to the tiny encapsulated cobalt-60 sources that are typically used in an undergraduate modern physics lab, which are 1 to 5 microcuries (and don't involve any major safety precautions).
 
Looks like they are being treated.
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/police-block-mexico-hospital-6-may-have-radiation

PACHUCA, Mexico (AP) — Federal police blocked access Friday to a central Mexico hospital where six people were reported to have been admitted with radiation exposure.

An official familiar with the case confirmed Mexican media reports that the six have been admitted to the general hospital in the city of Pachuca and may have been exposed to a stolen source of cobalt-60.
Talk about karma
http://binaryapi.ap.org/011863a3625f496f8f4f7654d04f2810/460x.jpg
 
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edward said:
The scrap ended up in iron re-bar. No one knew about it until 1984 when a load of re-bar was stopped at los Alamos because it set off radiation detectors.
Off topic, but I was once prohibited from re-entering a lab until the next day after setting off radiation detectors from having Technetium-99m in my blood.
 
  • #10
Sounds like the current suspects have only minor discomfort and no sign of radiation poisoning. Where is everyone getting this fatal prognosis from?
 
  • #11
dipole said:
Sounds like the current suspects have only minor discomfort and no sign of radiation poisoning. Where is everyone getting this fatal prognosis from?
Sensationalism. No one could possibly know how big of a dose they got.
 
  • #12
I figured it was meant to scare them.
 
  • #13
From what I understood, the thieves removed the Co-60 from the shielding. In other sources, it is stated that some near-by residents pulled the equipment (still containing the source?) to their homes nearby by car and also got some radiation.
I fear to get an accurate description, we have to await the IAEA report.
At least nothing as tragic as Goiania:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goiânia_accident
 
  • #14
So a mason carried the source to his home on his shoulders and has now radiation burnings and sickness.
He only attended a physician some days after and was the first time being sent home as he didn't mention having manipulated a radioactive source (which he probably didn't know himself).
As he apparently has carried a source of several thousand Ci for several kilometers on his shoulders I have strong doubts that he will survive.

Another family pulled the heavy shielding home by car.

So probably the robbers did remove the source from the shielding but then were clever enough to leave it back.
 
  • #15
So does anyone know if they actually caught the robbers?

Also it really upsets me that these counties have access to these materials, when clearly their governments are too incompetent to control them properly.
 
  • #16
dipole said:
So does anyone know if they actually caught the robbers?

Also it really upsets me that these counties have access to these materials, when clearly their governments are too incompetent to control them properly.

Yes, the five robbers were arrested after they showed up in a hospital but showed no signs of radiation sickness.

We just had a major catastrophes in Japan and Russia and the US contaminated the whole planet with it's nuclear test program.
Compared to that, what happened in Mexico is rather harmless.
What I wonder: These devices have warnings all over. Is analphabetism still so widespread in rural Mexico?
 

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