Part of stolen radioactive material found in São Paulo

Police in São Paulo have recovered a part of radioactive material stolen on June 30, in the east of Brazil’s biggest city. Last week, the National Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN), affiliated with the Science and Technology Ministry, issued a public alert following the theft, warning that the improper handling of the stolen material could pose significant health risks.

According to Medical Armazenagem Logística e Distribuição Ltda, the radioactive material was separated into five clearly marked lead cylinders and was stored inside a company pickup truck parked outside an employee’s home, in the São Paulo neighborhood of São Mateus.

The recovered material was found on Saturday in a battery shop in a nearby neighborhood. The establishment was isolated and radiation levels were tested, but the locale was found to be safe. One of the storage cylinders had been located a day before at a chop shop, where stolen cars are dismantled to be sold for parts. The clandestine business was also tested extensively for high levels of radiation, but was deemed safe.

Public security authorities say that all five lead storage cylinders have been found, but a germanium-68/gallium-68 generator was recovered without radioactive material inside. Such generators are used in nuclear medicine, particularly for PET scans.

The São Paulo police said that the battery shop sourced the material from a scrapyard, and that three men involved in the procurement were taken in for questioning.

The company responsible for the material explained that the pickup truck driver did not follow safety monitoring standards by parking the vehicle outside his residence. When transporting such material, the driver should have left it at one of the company’s dedicated facilities.

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