Feces in the Sea: Up to 41 times above the norm is the Pollution on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast

Pollution of the sea water up to 41 times above the norm found a joint inspection of scientists from Sofia University and the Association "Active Users" on the beaches along the Southern Black Sea coast.

Its results and analysis were published today.

They were carried out according to a European project. The head of the group "Microbiological risks in the environment" of the project is Dr. Sergey Ivanov.

11 beaches have been checked. The water was tested for the amount of Escherichia coli bacteria found in feces. It is a universal indicator of bathing water pollution. It should not be detected in 100 ml of drinking water. For bathing waters, the criteria are much more liberal. The limit for seawater is 500 cells (also called cfu) per 100 ml. Seawater purity is excellent at up to 250 per/100ml.

The methodology for determining Escherichia coli is standardized worldwide.

The Southern Black Sea Coast of the country

The waters of only 4 beaches out of 11 met the quantitative criterion for Escherichia coli content.

The cleanest - with 240 cells/100 ml - is on Harmanite beach in Sozopol.

The beaches in Sveti Vlas, Pomorie and the "Zlatna Ribka" campsite near Sozopol also qualify for the limit of up to 500 cells.

The northern beach of the town of Tsarevo, called Popski, is very polluted. There, Escherichia coli values reached a phenomenal 20,666 cells/100 ml, more than 41 times the norm.

Puzzled, the scientists surveyed the area. It turns out that feces are freely poured into the sea. They see "a highly polluted stream flowing into the bay, the presence of unidentified pipes/sewers towards the coast and a strong smell of feces in the area".

100-200 meters from the dirty...