In this study, the settling particulates collected by time-series sediment traps, sediment cores, and seawater samples taken in the western South Okinawa Trough were analyzed for 210Pb and 210Po in order to understand the characteristics of the particulates and sediments based on the distribution of these two nuclides and the extent of their radioactive disequilibrium. Two sediment traps were deployed at T18 (24¢X45'N 122¢X18'E, about 300m and 100m above bottom) from February to August 1999. The results show that higher mass fluxes were observed from February to April, ranging between 16 and 56 g/m2/d. The 210Pb activity increases systematically with time from about 80 to 100 dpm/g, and the upper trap has slightly higher values. Similar to 210Pb, the 210Po activity also increases, but from near zero to only 27 dpm/g for both traps, much lower than the corresponding 210Pb activity. The 210Pb activities are quite different between the settling particulates collected by traps at T18 and the surface sediment taken nearby (the former have a mean activity of about 85 to 90 dpm/g; the latter has a value of only 11 dpm/g). The size distribution and elemental composition are also different between the trapped particulates and the sediment. Thus the underlying sediments were not directly derived from the overlying trapped particulates. Except for T4 core below 15cm and T19 entire core, the 210Po/210Pb activity ratio in the sediments varies greatly, from near zero to 0.7, indicating deficiency of 210Po. Both 210Po and 210Pb activities are much lower in the sediments than in the settling particulates. A T19 both 210Po and 210Pb activities in the core decrease steeply from 120 dpm/g at surface to 60 dpm/g at 4 cm, indicating radioactive equilibrium. This is entirely different from the cores taken at other stations. The total 210Po/210Pb activity ratio in the water column at T17 is nearly constant at about 0.6, but drops to 0.3 below 700m, i.e. 210Po activity is deficient in the entire water column. At T18, the activity ratio is about 1.3 between 100m and 300m, indicating a 210Po excess in this layer. Below 400m, the ratio is about 0.6 to 0.7, showing 210Po deficit again. These observations indicate that the water columns at T17 and T18 are stratified, probably due to lateral transport. Based on the 210Po/210Pb activity ratio the mean residence time of 210Po with respect to particulate scavenging ranges from 3 to 16 months.