Alpha-emitting, hot particles in Irish sea sediments.

Alpha-emitting, hot particles have been observed in samples of liquid effluent from the nuclear fuel reprocessing plant at Sellafield, U.K. Similar particles, thought to originate from Sellafield, have been found in environmental samples from sites near the plant. The occurrence and distribution of hot particles in surface sediments from the northeastern sector of the Irish Sea are described and the implications for predicting transuranium element behaviour are discussed.