Missing Nuclear Measuring Devices in Peru Do Not Pose Radiological Threat, Official Says

Two nuclear measuring devices stolen late last month in Peru do not contain enough radioactive material to produce a radiological weapon, Peruvian Institute of Nuclear Energy President Modesto Montoya said yesterday (see GSN, May 7).

The two devices used by miners each contain about 1 gram of removable cesium 137, Montoya said, adding that the devices were likely stolen and sold for scrap. While the amount of material within the devices is too small to build a “dirty bomb,” which combines conventional explosives and radioactive material, the cesium 137 could cause severe burns if handled for several days, he said (Associated Press/San Diego Union Tribune, Aug. 9).

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