Global fallout of curium
THE search for 242mAm (t1/2=152 yr) in environmental samples has involved detection of its daughter 242Cm (t 1/2=163 d) (refs 1-3). These samples were contaminated by transuranium nuclides either from a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant or from a thermonuclear test fallout. A logical consequence was then to analyse global fallout-contaminated samples for 242Cm and 244Cm to establish the present dist