Tracer methods have been widely used in many fields of environmental and natural sciences, and also in human health sciences. In particular, tracers are used in the study of karst hydrogeology, typically focusing on phenomena such as sinkholes, sinking rivers and large karst springs. It is known that tracers have been used since antiquity. The aim of tracer tests has been to investigate underground flow paths, transport processes and water–rock interactions, and to get an insight into the functioning of a karst aquifer. In karst hydrogeology, tracer methods are the most important investigation tools beside conventional hydrological methods. In early times, tracer methods were applied only to investigate underground flow-paths. Later they were also used to elucidate transport processes associated with water flow, and today they are often the basis, together with detailed hydrological information, of groundwater protection investigations and aquifer modelling. Many substances (spores, microspheres, bacteriophages, salt tracers, fluorescent dyes, radioactive substances) have been investigated for their properties and potential usage in environmental investigations, in particular the often unknown and inaccessible underground systems of karst areas. A great number of analytical techniques is available. This includes instrumentation for laboratory applications and direct online, on-site or in-situ field measurements. Modern instruments have a high capability for data acquisition, storage and transmission in short intervals, as a basis for quantitative evaluation and modelling. This enables research on the hydrological and hydrochemical dynamics of aquifers and their response to different natural or anthropogenic impacts.

示踪剂方法已广泛用于环境和自然科学的许多领域，以及人体健康科学。特别是在岩溶水文地质研究中使用了示踪剂，通常着眼于诸如下陷，下沉的河流和大型岩溶泉等现象。众所周知，自古以来就已使用示踪剂。示踪剂测试的目的是调查地下流动路径，运输过程和水-岩相互作用，并深入了解岩溶含水层的功能。在岩溶水文地质学中，除常规水文方法外，示踪法是最重要的调查工具。在早期，示踪剂方法仅用于调查地下流路。后来，它们也被用来阐明与水流有关的运输过程，如今，它们通常是基础，连同详细的水文信息，地下水保护调查和含水层建模。已经对许多物质（孢子，微球，噬菌体，盐示踪剂，荧光染料，放射性物质）的性质和在环境研究中的潜在用途进行了研究，特别是岩溶地区通常不为人知且难以接近的地下系统。有大量的分析技术可用。这包括用于实验室应用的仪器以及直接在线，现场或现场现场测量的仪器。现代仪器具有在短时间内进行数据采集，存储和传输的强大功能，可作为定量评估和建模的基础。