RADON TRANSPORT PHENOMENA STUDIED IN KARST CAVES - INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCES ON RADON LEVELS AND EXPOSURES

The results of radon measurements in caves obtained by using of nuclea r track detectors are summarized. Mean radon concentrations are rangin g worldwide from 0.1 to 20 kBqm(-3) with 2.8 kBqm(-3) arithmetic avera ge. From long-term extended radon measurements in caves not only a det ailed dosimetric picture can be drawn, but using radon gas as a radioa ctive tracer, the subsurface and near-to-surface transport processes c an be studied, too. It will be shown that long-term radon monitoring b y nuclear track detectors, in conjunctions with active detectors which enables detection of fast dynamic changes, offers very important info rmation for naturally-occurring transport processes.