A 23kg Radioactive Dispersal Device (RDD) -- also known as a Sentinel Delta 880 industrial radiography projector -- which contains an unknown amount of the isotope Iridium- 192, has been missing in Malaysia since August 10.

It is alleged that the device went missing while en route from Seremban to Shah Alam.

Reports have been lodged with both the Malaysian police and the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) but as of August 19, the New Straits Times reported that the AELB has no leads on the whereabouts of the device.

Special Task Force mobilised

As of August 23, a special task force has been assembled by the Selangor Police and AELB in the hope of tracking down the device. According to Channel NewsAsia, Selangor police chief Mazlan Mansor has stated to reporters that the task force will work "round the clock" to resolve the matter.

Mazlan further added that currently:

"...the police have not received any new lead on the matter. We have not received any information as to whether the equipment has been taken out of Selangor."

Mazlan has also urged members of the public with information about the device to contact the police.

Earlier, on August 21, Mazlan had stressed that there are no signs of the radioactive device having fallen into the hands of terrorists.

However, there are still significant concerns that remain over the risk of exposure due to the health hazards associated with radiation exposure.

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What are the risks of exposure?

Radiation is measured using the unit sievert, which quantifies the amount of radiation absorbed by human tissues. One sievert is 1,000 milisievert (mSv).

According to Mazlan, as the device "contains 50 curies of Iridium 192", exposure to the device for up to 2 hours "at a distance of one metre (without protection) will receive exposure levels as high as 500 milisievert (mSv)."

At this level of exposure, it "will bring about nausea and headaches." What's more, "[any] dosage above 500 mSv will lead to the skin being burnt."

Not the first time this has happened

The Inspector-General of Police Mohamad Fuzi Harun has also stated that this is not the first time such an incident has happened.

Speaking to reporters, Fuzi said, "This incident is not the first and it is understood that it also happened last year."

He added that there has been no information on the discovery of the previous device either.

Top image from Fallout: The Science and History Facebook