AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Department of State Health Services is searching for a missing camera that contains radioactive material in Loving County, according to a press release issued Friday.
Radiographic cameras are industrial devices used in construction, oil and gas work, DSHS added. DSHS said the camera, owned by National Inspection Services, went missing about 10 miles east of Mentone as it was taken between work sites.
National Inspection Services is searching for the camera, with help from DSHS and local authorities. The company is also offering a reward for its recovery and return, the news release said.
DSHS warned that if someone comes across the camera, they shouldn’t open it.
“The radioactive material is sealed inside a capsule, which is locked inside the camera with protective shielding and other safety features,” the release said.
DSHS added that the radiation levels on the outside of the camera are not dangerous, but opening it up could present a risk of injury due to the radioactive material inside.
DSHS said if anybody finds the camera, they should contact the Department of State Health Services at 512-458-7460, Reeves County Emergency Management at 432-287-4125 or local law enforcement.
2023: Radiographic camera missing in Houston
This is not the first time a radiographic camera has gone missing in Texas; another camera containing radioactive material went missing on March 9, 2023, according to DSHS.
Statewide Maintenance Company owned the device, which was used for construction. It was found more than two months later in Houston, with its protective shielding intact, per a May 2023 release.
What is a radiographic camera?
Radiographic cameras are commonly used in industrial work, due to their capability of seeing through thick materials to detect cracks that cannot be seen with the naked eye, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
X-rays and gamma rays can travel through many different types of materials, and radiographic cameras allow users to harness that ability to correct structural flaws, per the EPA.
Radiographic cameras are most commonly used for testing car parts, boilers, gas and oil pipelines as well as metal welding, the EPA said.
