The Stockholm Convention Regional Centre in Czech Republic (SCRC) is hosted by the Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), which is an independent department operating within the Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic since 2007.
In 2009 at its fourth meeting the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention formally endorsed it as the SCRC Czech Republic.
The Centre provides assistance to the countries located in the Central and Eastern Europe region. However in its area of expertise, for example for environmental monitoring of POPs, the centre has been providing training and capacity building to the countries beyond the geographical region.
The greatest strength of the SCRC Czech Republic at RECETOX is that it provides active science to policy interface and direct services supporting the implementation of the legislation and requirements embedded in multilateral environmental agreements (Stockholm Conveniton, CLRTAP and its protocols, Minamata Convention on Mercury). This involves support to international monitoring programs - AMAP and EMEP by providing data from the RECETOX sampling sites, as well as it carries out its own research activity covering the whole Europe by ambient air passive sampling network - MONET Europe currently with 34 participating countries (there are both the EU 28 and some additional Eastern European countries), or by developing and operating complex data repositories with visualization tools that are publicly available (www.genasis.cz or www.pops-gmp.org) and can serve as EU-wide or global- awareness raising tools. Both portals also enhance visibility to a range of monitoring activities (one-stop-shop with analytical and visualization tools able to create charts, maps and trends).
In addition to continuous acitivities shown below, a lot of work is also done on demand (i.e. one-off activities further below) and outputs of our research are also provided in research papers or reports.
Continuous activities by SCRC/RECETOX in support to the Stockholm Convention
In addition to the continuous monitoring of POPs through its extensive monitoring network, MONET as mentioned above, the centre undertakes capacity building and training through its International Summer School programme. The international summer school at RECETOX is an intensive six day training supporting implementation of the Stockholm Convention in particular, but it is also valid for other agreements dealing with chemicals. The Summer School brings information on the latest advances in research (environmental chemistry, ecotoxicology, risk assessment), transfers the most effective sampling and analytical techniques, comprises both theoretical and practical courses including hands on in the laboratory works, data management etc.
In addition to the above there is always a special theme that highlights the achievements or brings in the latest scientific challenges and findings: 2005-2009: integrated monitoring of persistent toxic substances in the environment, 2010: bioavailability, fate and behavior of contaminants and passive sampling techniques for pollutants in the air, water, sediment and soil, 2011: climate change impacts on the presence of organic pollutants in the Arctic and their effects on human health, 2012: passive sampling of pollutants in the aquatic environment, 2013: human exposure and risk assessment, 2014: analysis of toxic substances in the environment using isotopes and environmental monitoring data mining in support to the Global Monitoring Plan under the Stockholm Convention, 2015: cyanobacterial blooms and their toxins in water reservoirs and training in data management and analyses in support to the Global Monitoring Plan under the Stockholm Convention, 2016: toxic compounds in the indoor environment.
Besides, the centre has been active in organizing several regional and international conferences and training programmes, and a large number of scientific publications in peer reviewed journals.
For more information please visit: https://www.recetox.muni.cz/rc/.