Transuranium nuclides in the environment

Interest in the distribution, behaviour and effects of radionuclides contributed to the environment by human activity, originally from development programmes for nuclear weapons and augmented by present and forecast schemes for extensive introduction of nuclear power, has led to a series of recent symposia held by the IAEA on various aspects of this general subject. The International Symposium on Transuranium Nuclides in the Environment was the first in which the Agency was involved to deal with this specific class of radionuclides, including plutonium in particular, because of the widespread interest and concern with such materials as a major constituent of nuclear weapons or fuels. The meeting was co-sponsored by the Energy Research and Development Administration of the United States of America together with the IAEA, and was held in San Francisco by invitation of the United States Government. (author)