The Danube is the largest river in the EU that flows 2826 km southeastwards from Germany to the Black Sea and collects water from a river basin that includes 19 countries, more than any other river in the world. With the aim of obtaining a complex picture of the water quality in the Danube and its major tributaries, the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River organises periodic investigations: the Joint Danube Surveys (JDS). The key purpose of JDS is to gather vital data on carefully selected elements of water quality across the entire length of the Danube River and its major tributaries. Four JDSs have been previously conducted - in 2001, 2007, 2013 and 2019 - and the fifth of its kind, JDS5, takes place throughout 2025. The outcome of the JDS5 should cover the information gaps deemed necessary for the planned 2027 update of the Danube River Basin Management Plan.
Since 2013, researchers from the Centre RECETOX of Masaryk University in Brno (www.recetox.cz) and the Centre CENAKVA of the Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters of the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice (www.cenakva.cz) , with the support of the NORMAN association, have actively contributed to the JDS. In 2019, their study set a baseline for characterising chemical pollution in the Danube River using an innovative approach, combining the use of passive sampling technology with comprehensive chemical and bioanalytical assessment at ten sampling sites along the river. In 2025, the study will be repeated to investigate how the contamination patterns and trends have changed in six years.
Žiga Tkalec and Kapil Mandrah, two postdoctoral fellows at the RECETOX Centre of Masaryk University, have just completed their MSCA projects, and in this article they share their experiences, insights and the impact the fellowships had on their professional journeys.
The 21st RECETOX Summer School took place from June 9 to 13, 2025, at the RECETOX center in Brno. This year's event was divided into two consecutive blocks, offering participants a comprehensive educational program in the field of chemical risk assessment. The event attracted a total of 55 participants from 31 countries around the world, including scientists, doctoral students, and experts from regulatory institutions.
