A “potentially hazardous material” has been discovered at Sydney’s Castle Hill high school.
The New South Wales education department said in a statement it discovered “a potentially hazardous material in a locked science block storeroom” at the school on 30 August 2023.
The department said the material was in a sealed box in a room that students could not access.
It said the substance has been secured and will be tested and removed this weekend.
Students’ parents and carers were notified on the same day.
“The storeroom was not accessible to students and the material was in a sealed box and believed to have been used to support science experiments in the past,” a department spokesperson said.
News.com.au reported on Wednesday that the material was in a red box labelled “yellowcake”, a commonly used term for a powder version of uranium.
The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (Arpansa) has a safety guide for the use of radiation in schools, detailing the monitoring, testing, storage, disposal and transport of radioactive sources as well as how to deal with spills and decontamination.
Last year, the education department investigated a separate discovery of a radioactive substance at Randwick Girls high school. It found the risk to students and staff from the “very small” amount of material was negligible.
The Australian Science Teachers Association says it is “desirable for students to develop a respect for the safe and proper use of radiation” and that the most common materials used are small, sealed plastic discs. The association refers users to the Arpansa regulations.
In August, low level radioactive isotopes were found during a Border Force raid of a Sydney home. In January, a radioactive capsule went missing in Western Australia, but was found after a large-scale, two-week search.
The NSW education department said the Castle Hill storeroom would “remain isolated and secured until the material is tested and removed by an appropriate authorised contractor this weekend”.
“An occupational hygienist has inspected the science block and deemed it safe for normal use,” it said.
“The storeroom in question is not located within any classroom. Science classes for all cohorts are continuing unaffected.
“As always, the health, safety, and wellbeing of the school and local community remains our highest priority.”
Guardian Australia has contacted Arpansa for more information.
