In recent days, the residents of Burgas have been facing an unpleasant odor, which, according to them, is particularly strong at certain times of the day. Signals have been received from different districts of the city about strong petroleum odors, causing concern among the population. Citizens share that the smell is most often felt early in the morning and in the evening.
The authorities, for their part, link the unpleasant smell to vapors from tankers in the sea. However, what is the real situation and is there reason for alarm? To answer these questions, we sought the opinion of specialists.
Engineer Zhivko Petrov, director of "Marine Administration" - Burgas, gave his point of view to the media. "There was a serious wave in the sea and I claim that I prefer to cause discomfort to some, rather than risk causing greater damage by pollution," he said. He explained the complex process that can cause the unpleasant odors. "The problem is not in the overloading, the problem is in the tanker itself, which is loaded with oil. When there is a difference in temperatures - in the morning it is 6,7,8 degrees, at noon it becomes 20. This thing causes the tanker and the cargo to heat up. Every oil evaporates and gives off gases," added Engineer Petrov.
Pavel Marinov, director of RIEW-Burgas, also commented on the situation. "Whenever the wind brings a smell into the city, we receive signals - in groups. In the last week we received 7 signals," he shared in the show "The Day Begins".
It is important to note that despite the signals received, no exceedances of the permissible air quality standards have been registered so far. The indicators are constantly monitored by two special stations. "The indicators of the two fixed stations are monitored around the clock and no violations have been found," explained the director of RIEW-Burgas. He added that despite the unpleasant smell that is felt by the residents, there is no danger to health, specifying that these smells are not subject to measurement.
We will have to see how the situation will develop in the coming days. Our team will continue to closely monitor the situation and will inform about all new developments.