Consequences of coal mining and burning on the health and longevity of people in Bulgaria
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Date
2026-08-02
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Plovdiv University Press
Abstract
The paper presents an example of citizen science in the creation of a mathematical model
showing the consequences for the health and lives of people in the so-called "coal regions". The model
uses public data and can be applied universally to any area suspected of being affected by factors that
increase disease and mortality, whether it is coal, waste burning, mining pollution or other industrial
activities. In this particular case, the focus is on municipalities in coal regions, which are in the process
of restructuring their economic model through a "just transition". A theoretical framework is presented
that interprets this type of policy from the perspective of national priorities and commitments of
Bulgaria's EU membership. A methodology for collecting, processing and classifying data on the health
status of the population is presented. A critical analysis has been made of the defects in the provision
of such data by the competent state authorities to civil activists and researchers.
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Keywords
coal mining regions, harmful emissions, premature mortality, citizen science, public information, health consequences