A canister containing aluminium phosphide pellets was found washed up in Airlie Beach after recent wild weather along parts of the Queensland coast last week.
The canisters have been washing up on beaches across the entire east coast of Australia since 2012, having been located as far north as Thursday Island and as far south as Tasmania - most coming ashore in Queensland.
A similar canister washed up on the Airlie Beach Foreshore in 2013 before being removed by Queensland Fire and Rescue Service.
The canisters are believed to have been used as industrial fumigation for pest control onboard grain ships and have either fallen overboard or been discarded carelessly before washing up on shore.
The exact origin of the canister is unknown, as is the quantity of canisters that are drifting in the ocean currently. The silver canisters are found about once a year on beaches.
The contents are phosphide pellets, a stable substance when dry and sealed in the container, but when introduced to moisture, produces phosphine gas – a highly toxic and highly flammable fume.
The toxic gas is flammable and colourless and can be incredibly dangerous and potentially fatal for anyone exposed to it – even the friction of opening the container could cause it to ignite.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokesperson said that if a person were to locate one of these silver canisters or any similar type of container, “leave the canister where it is and do not attempt to move it.”
“Call Triple Zero (000) immediately and report the item so our specially trained Hazchem officers can respond,” they said.
A dangerous canister containing phosphide pellets – a potentially fatal and flammable substance when exposed to moisture – was found in Airlie Beach last week
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