Radon Survey in Caves from Mallorca Island, Spain
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
9-2015
Keywords
Radon concentration, Track-etched detector, Cave, Exposure, Health hazard, Mallorca
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.04.076
Abstract
This study reports radon concentration in the most representative caves of Mallorca, identifying those in which the recommended action level is exceeded, thus posing health risks. Two show caves (Campanet and Artà) and three non-touristic caves (Font, Drac, Vallgornera) were investigated. Data were collected at several locations within each cave for three different periods, from March 2013 to March 2014. Except for Vallgornera, where only one monitoring period was possible, and Artà in which low values were recorded throughout the year, a clear seasonal variability, with higher values during the warm seasons and lower during winter time is prominent. Radon concentrations differed markedly from one cave to another, as well as within the same cave, ranging from below detection limit up to 3060 Bq·m− 3. The results of this study have significant practical implications, making it possible to provide some recommendation to cave administrators and other agencies involved in granting access to the investigated caves.
Was this content written or created while at USF?
Yes
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Science of The Total Environment, v. 526, p. 196-203
Scholar Commons Citation
Dumitru, Oana Alexandra; Onac, Bogdan P.; Fornós, Joan J.; Cosma, Constantin; Ginés, Angel; Ginés, Joaquín; and Merino, Antoni, "Radon Survey in Caves from Mallorca Island, Spain" (2015). School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications. 1781.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/geo_facpub/1781
