Chemical fingerprint tells the hidden stories of our lakes and helps us find improved solutions for them.

The #MeetTheProCleanLakesTeam campaign aims to spotlight the people behind the ProCleanLakes project—researchers, innovators, and collaborators working across Europe to restore and protect our freshwater ecosystems. Through short interviews, we share personal insights, motivations, and the unique roles each team member plays in driving forward sustainable water management solutions.

Today, we are pleased to continue the #MeetTheProCleanLakesTeam campaign with an interview featuring Dr. Sanda Rončević, University Professor at the Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb (PMF), Croatia.

ProCleanLakes Team: Dear Sanda, welcome to our interview series. We are delighted to have you with us today. To begin, could you please introduce yourself to our readers and tell us about your role in ProCleanLakes?

Sanda: I’m a chemistry scientist specializing in elemental profiling of environmental samples. In ProCleanLakes, I analyze chemical pollutants, such as inorganic and organic constituents, to obtain water and sediment quality data. Together with the local team consisting of chemical and geological researchers, I am helping in designing monitoring strategies to assess restoration efforts.

ProCleanLakes Team: What excites you most about working on ProCleanLakes? Why is this work meaningful for you?

Sanda: It’s exciting to see how the results of analytical chemistry and geochemistry research can directly improve ecosystems. To build something that benefits both people and nature is very inspiring.

ProCleanLakes Team: How does your work contribute to cleaner lakes and sustainable water management?

Sanda: Our analytical data on chemical pollutants help guide where and how to intervene for maximum benefit, saving time and resources while protecting ecosystems effectively.

ProCleanLakes Team: What are the key challenges or lessons in your area of the project?

Sanda: Balancing the scientific side with the constraints of a real system can be incomplete, but collaboration and creativity improve it and make new solutions possible.

ProCleanLakes Team:  What’s one thing you hope ProCleanLakes will achieve by the end?

Sanda: My hope is that we will inspire more people to value and care for their freshwater resources. I hope that the project will leave behind a set of tools and knowledge that really makes a difference.

We would like to sincerely thank Dr. Sanda Rončević for sharing her perspectives and valuable insights as part of the #MeetTheProCleanLakesTeam interview series.

Stay tuned for more interviews with project partners by subscribing to our newsletter and following ProCleanLakes on social media.

Together, we can contribute to the protection and restoration of Europe’s lakes.