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| Dangerous Radioactive Substance Is Stolen in Mexico | Dangerous Radioactive Substance Is Stolen in Mexico |
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| Thieves in Mexico have stolen a truck carrying a potent radioactive isotope commonly used for medical purposes that can be extremely dangerous if mishandled, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Wednesday, raising fears that the theft involved a more sinister motive, like the manufacture of a dirty bomb. | |
| The agency, the nuclear monitor of the United Nations, said it had been informed by the Mexican authorities that the truck carrying the isotope, cobalt 60, had been stolen in the town of Tepojaco, near Mexico City, on Monday. The truck had been transporting the isotope from a hospital in the northern city of Tijuana to a radioactive waste storage center, the agency said. | The agency, the nuclear monitor of the United Nations, said it had been informed by the Mexican authorities that the truck carrying the isotope, cobalt 60, had been stolen in the town of Tepojaco, near Mexico City, on Monday. The truck had been transporting the isotope from a hospital in the northern city of Tijuana to a radioactive waste storage center, the agency said. |
| “The Mexican authorities are currently conducting a search for the source and have issued a news release to alert the public,” the agency said in a statement on its website. | “The Mexican authorities are currently conducting a search for the source and have issued a news release to alert the public,” the agency said in a statement on its website. |
| At the time the truck was stolen, the statement said, the cobalt 60 was properly shielded. However, it said, “the source could be extremely dangerous to a person if removed from the shielding or if it was damaged.” | |
| The statement did not elaborate on whether the thieves had known what they were stealing. But cobalt 60 is one of the ingredients commonly cited as a possible component of a dirty bomb, a combination of explosives and radioactive material. | The statement did not elaborate on whether the thieves had known what they were stealing. But cobalt 60 is one of the ingredients commonly cited as a possible component of a dirty bomb, a combination of explosives and radioactive material. |
| Counterterrorism officials, long concerned about dirty bombs, have said they are far more useful in spreading panic than in actually causing casualties or significant health concerns. | Counterterrorism officials, long concerned about dirty bombs, have said they are far more useful in spreading panic than in actually causing casualties or significant health concerns. |
| In an online guide to radiation protection, the Environmental Protection Agency identifies cobalt 60 as a substance used in a range of industrial and medical applications, including radiotherapy in hospitals. Large amounts of cobalt 60 are also used to sterilize spices and some foods because its powerful gamma rays kill bacteria and other pathogens without damaging the products or leaving them radioactive. Industrial and medical users periodically replace used cobalt 60 with fresh supplies because, as with all radioisotopes, its emissions slowly weaken over time; its half-life is 5.27 years. | |
| The E.P.A. guide also warns that cobalt 60 is known to cause cancer. “Because it emits such strong gamma rays, external exposure to cobalt 60 is also considered a significant threat,” it says. | The E.P.A. guide also warns that cobalt 60 is known to cause cancer. “Because it emits such strong gamma rays, external exposure to cobalt 60 is also considered a significant threat,” it says. |