Police Warn That Stolen Gauge May Cause Radiation Sickness

Police are searching for a stolen radioactive soil-testing gauge that could cause radiation sickness if improperly handled.

The bright orange gauge, clearly marked “radioactive,” was stolen from a locked case on the back of a Pavement Engineering Inc. truck parked in a motel parking garage Tuesday night, San Diego Police Department spokesman Bill Robinson said.

“It’s kind of scary,” he said. “Somebody must have taken it, not knowing what it was.”

The device has no resale value because each gauge must be licensed by the government and can easily be traced as stolen, said Douglas Carter, radiation safety officer of CPN Corp. in Martinez, which made the gauge.

“It’s such a small amount of radioactive material, it couldn’t be used in any other product. It has absolutely no value,” Carter said.

The gauges are used by private and government engineers to test the density and moisture of soil at road- and building-construction sites.

The gauge contains up to 10 millicuries of Cesium 137 and 50 millicuries of Americium 241 in a sealed rod. Because the radioactive material is stored in the rod, removing it would be almost impossible, Carter said.

But just grasping the stainless steel rod could cause radiation sickness, including redness of the skin, nausea and vomiting, he said.

When the testing rod is extended from the gauge, workers are told to stay 20 feet away to avoid radiation exposure, said Paul Curren, president of Pavement Engineering. When the rod is withdrawn, exposure is minimal for anyone 3 feet or farther away, he said.

Anyone who finds the gauge should notify the police or call CPN at the telephone number marked on the gauge.

Inn The gauge was valued at $4,500.