A new monitoring system reveals the ecological health of Bulgarian soils

The Executive Environment Agency (EAEU) is undertaking a large-scale reform in the system for tracking the state of national soil resources. With an official order by Minister Manol Genov on June 23, existing monitoring schemes have been updated, introducing an innovative third methodological approach.

The new methodology builds upon the previous two levels of observation, which have been functioning since 2005. The first level covers a comprehensive survey through 397 points in agricultural lands and 21 additional locations in the national parks Rila, Pirin, and Central Balkan.

The second level focuses on regional degradation processes - acidification of 57 polygons, salinization of 12 polygons, and detailed tracking of erosion phenomena. Specialized mathematical models analyze risk parameters and calculate average annual soil losses by administrative regions.

The revolutionary third level introduces a system for local monitoring of soil contamination through 97 new research points. Their distribution covers critical ecological zones: 58 points around pesticide warehouses, 3 around military facilities, 20 on post-mining terrains, 2 for oil deposits, and 14 in production territories.

Experts will conduct in-depth analyses, measuring concentrations of heavy metals and organic pollutants. The methodology provides for percentage comparison of samples against maximum permissible norms, which will allow a precise assessment of environmental risks.

EAEU is set to launch a public procurement for field sampling, which will serve to determine the necessary restoration activities. The entire project is part of the National Environmental Monitoring System and meets European standards.

The program was developed in 2004 and officially approved on September 15, 2009. It fully complies with the requirements of the European Commission, the European Environment Agency, and national legislation adopted in the period 2007-2009.

The ultimate goal of the monitoring is a comprehensive assessment of the "health" of soil resources, which will be published in annual national environmental status reports.