Alarming information about high levels of air pollution can often be seen in Bulgarian media. And while today, somehow, this can be considered “normal” for a country with a developing industry and growing traffic, it turns out that most of this information is based on rumours. A good example of this is the nuclear contamination hoax at the end of June, which caused panic and had huge response from the media. And this all leads to the question – should we be aware of pollution in Bulgaria and where are the real problems?
The institution responsible for the environmental and ecological control in Bulgaria is the Ministry of Environment and Water (MOEW). Its regional offices provide it with information regarding municipalities’ pollution levels, and daily reports, available to the public, are published on the web site of its subsidiary – the Executive Environment Agency. Sadly, these reports usually do not contain facts, only an “It’s all ok!” message. However, if the concentrations of any of the monitored pollutants rise above safety levels, the report will contain information about this. And while on the subject of pollutants – in Bulgaria they are mainly fine particles, sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and lead aerosols. Due to developed industries in some regions of the country, separate cases of contamination with ammonia, phenol, hydrogen sulphide and other toxic pollutants can also be observed.
General information about the most common pollutants
Particulate matter (PM), aka fine particles, are perhaps the most widely distributed atmospheric pollutant nowadays. Affecting mainly the urban areas, PM is generated by many human activities. City traffic is a good example, along with power stations and heavy industry. Increased levels of PM can be linked to many heart and lung diseases and even cancer. The hazards of dust particles can be best explained by the fact that they offer surface for other toxic chemicals, which accumulate. For example – smoke from coal- or tar-powered power stations can often contain dust particles, accompanied by polyaromatic hydrocarbons, which are known carcinogens.
Sulphur dioxide is a colourless gas, a product of burning sulphur-containing compounds. It is toxic to humans due to its acidity and if inhaled can cause laboured breathing, coughing and/or sore throat. This is because it reacts with water in pulmonary tissue, forming sulphuric acid, which can cause permanent damage.
Nitrogen oxides (NOx) refer to a range of compounds, a product of burning nitrogen-containing chemicals. The most popular of them is nitrogen dioxide, which can be recognised easily thanks to its reddish-brown colour. Its sources are the internal combustion of engines and, again, the thermal power plants. Nitrogen oxides are also linked to some pulmonary diseases and a recent study by researchers at the University of California claimed that there is a link between its levels and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) – sudden and unexplained death of healthy infants.
The main air pollutants in Sofia are the fine particles and NOx. This is easily observed during winter when they become a real problem. In the last few years, new records have been made in Sofia – last January there were almost 20 days in a row when the safety concentration of 50 µg/m3 was passed by 4.5! It is claimed that the main reasons for this pollution are traffic and coal heating, still used by some of the population. The other main source of pollution near Sofia is Kremikovtzi – the biggest metallurgical combine in the country. Due to its obsolete equipment, it has been subject to numerous reports, containing information about high concentrations of lead, other heavy metals, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen/carbon oxides in the area. And this affects mainly the villages located near the mill – like Yana, where refuse is stored in an open-air depository. In the past seven years the mill has invested more than 52 million leva in improvements. However, it turns out that this was insufficient since it could not get its complex ecological permit from the European Union – if this does not happen by the 23rd of October this year, Kremikovtzi would have to shut down its production capacities to a third.
Varna, the sea capital of Bulgaria, also suffers from ecological issues. And, like Sofia, the main problem is also dust. According to official data, the average yearly concentration of PM there is 44.1 to 48.7 µg/m3, while the safety level in EU is 50 µg/m3. The ecological “hot spot” near Varna is the small town of Devnya, where most of the industry of the region is located.
If you just mention “air pollution” in Bulgaria, there is only one place that everyone would refer to – Stara Zagora. It is one of the biggest cities in south Bulgaria and perhaps the most infamous. The city is often gassed, especially with sulphur dioxide. It is said that the main source of the pollution are the Maritza-Iztok thermal stations. The hazard level for sulphur dioxide in air is over 350 µg/m3. In Stara Zagora, concentrations of 380 µg/m3 are often monitored and on September 26 2006, an absolute record was made, when the regional office of the MOEW reported 916.5 µg/m3.
It may be concluded that ecological problems in Bulgaria do not differ from what one would expect in other areas of the EU. There are exceptions, of course, but they are limited only to few of the big cities, where heavy industry is located. There are good examples, Dimitrovgrad. Located near Haskovo and Stara Zagora this small town houses the largest chemical combine on the Balkans – NeoChim PLC. The combine employs a third of the town’s population and there are no ecological problems. Another example is Veliko Turnovo, which is one of the largest towns in central-north Bulgaria. In the past 10 years, no environmental problems have been reported, with a few exceptions limited to separate town quarters. Kozloduy, where Bulgaria’s only nuclear power plant is located, should also be mentioned – due to the power plant this town is always in the focus of the MOEW and it has the biggest density of monitoring stations. Again – no data can be found concerning any cases of pollution in its area.
