Experts warn of loose radioactive material

Experts warn of loose radioactive material: "
Experts warn of loose radioactive material
SYDNEY, Aug. 30 (UPI) -- Significant stockpiles of radioactive material that could be used to make a "dirty bomb" have been found at unsecured sites in Southeast Asia, experts warn.

Scientists at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization, or ANSTO, said efforts were being made to transfer the material to secure sites, the BBC reported Monday.
The government organization, which warns that militants may try to steal radioactive supplies, is working with Southeast Asian nations to ensure that materials used in medicine and industry do not fall into the wrong hands.
Ron Cameron, chief of operations at ANSTO, said it was "unlikely" that militants would have knowledge of where radioactive material is stored and also know how to process it into a bomb.
Reports suggested that ANSTO had discovered a piece of cobalt, commonly used in radiotherapy treatment, at a disused medical center.
Incorporating radioactive material into a conventional bomb would contaminate large areas of a city, causing panic and increasing cancer rates.
"A dirty bomb is not a weapon of mass destruction, it is a weapon of mass disruption," Cameron said. "The major consequence of a dirty bomb would be panic, and that is of course what the terrorists are after."
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