RECETOX - Centre of excellence in environmental chemistry and ecotoxicology

Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) chemicals in the environment are the main topics of research, scientific and educative activities of RECETOX. RECETOX has had three basic approaches for the study of this problem and research in this field. The first approach was based on environmental chemistry. RECETOX studied the fate PBTs in the whole environment, in all environmental compartments. The second one was based on the study of their potential, harmful effects to various species of wildlife - this approach is represented by ecotoxicology. And the third, maybe the most important approach, represented a bridge between and over the previous two - it is scientifically based ecological risk assessment (EcoRA). Thus, the main topics were the studies of relationships between environmental levels of PBTs and other chemicals in the environment and their potential biological effects, and the development of EcoRA methodology. As the final and unifying concept developed over all mentioned topics, critical data analyses and software development was included in the centre activities, working with environmental and epidemiological data. The third approach combined the aspects of hazard and risk identification of PBT substances with their characterization from the point of view of the relationships between stressors in real world and their complex effects.