Caffeine and urea as indicators of anthropogenic load on bathing ponds

Bathing ponds represent a specific ecosystem where living organisms play a dominant role in maintaining the quality of water in the water body. At the same time, they are very frequently visited, so the biggest source of pollution is from bathers. The aim of this publication is to present and evaluate possible chemical indicators of anthropogenic load – caffeine and urea at four sites (two of which during the entire bath-ing season) in the summer of 2023.

Water quality and transport of pollutants in downstream part of the Czech Elbe

The paper presents an analysis of water quality data from the downstream part of the Czech Elbe and the Vltava for the period 1961–2020 and compares it with archive data (reference period 1880–1913). The transport of nitrogen and total phosphorus within the catchment was compared with the output from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs).

Interview with Mgr. Petr Birklen, Director General of the Povodí Odry, state enterprise

At the beginning of March this year, Petr Birklen became Director General of the state enterprise Povodí Odry. How long was the journey to this position and what does it mean to him? How did he cope with the aftermath of the 2024 floods, and how does he manage to fight against misinformation? And will the long-discussed Nové Heřminovy dam finally be built? Mgr. Petr Birklen answers our questions.