Analysis of hydrophobic organic contaminants in the Danube River surface water by passive sampling

The study establishes a baseline for characterizing chemical pollution from hydrophobic contaminants in the Danube River using a combination of continuous passive sampling and comprehensive chemical assessment during two Joint Danube Surveys (JDS) in 2019 and 2025. JDS is one of the world’s most extensive investigative surface-water monitoring efforts in the longest river in the European Union. The extended deployment of silicone rubber passive samplers for approximately 100 days at 10 sites along the Danube River during two surveys (JDS4 and JDS5) provided more representative insights into spatial patterns of contamination and levels of organic pollutants than conventional spot sampling. In addition, SR samplers were deployed for 28 days in the effluent from 9 large municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the Danube basin to investigate the contribution of municipal wastewater to surface water contamination.

Associate Professor Branislav Vrana is Head of the Chemodynamics of Environmental Pollution research group at RECETOX, Masaryk University, Czech Republic. His research focuses on the fate of organic pollutants in aquatic environments, as well as the development of innovative sampling techniques and analytical methods. He serves as the main coordinator of the global aquatic monitoring project AQUA-GAPS/MONET and is actively engaged at the science-policy interface at both national and international levels