A Workshop "Organic matter transformations in Maritsa Iztok dump materials: view by geochemical proxies" (Sofia, June, 25-26th, 2019) and Fieldtrip to Troyanovo-3 Mine, Mini Maritsa Iztok EAD (June, 27-28th, 2019) were organized by the Geological Institute and the Institute of Organic Chemistry with Centre of Phytochemistry at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The event was financially supported by the National Science Fund under the Project DN 04/5/2016. The Organizing committee of the workshop consists of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zlatka Milakovska, Prof. Dr. Maya Stefanova, Eng. Georgi Vladislavov and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Stefan Marinov.
About 15 scientists (Photo 1) from different scientific disciplines and countries were welcomed by Prof. Dr. R. Nakov (Photo 2), Director of the Geological Institute. The invited speakers Assoc. Prof. Dr. Monika Fabiańska (Photo 3) and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Magdalena Misz-Kennan (Photo 4) (University of Silesia, Sosnowiec, Poland), Prof. Dr. Ksenija Stojanović (Photo 5)(Belgrade University, Republic of Serbia), and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Achim Bechtel (Photo 6) (Montanuniversität Leoben, Austria) together with researchers from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Agricultural Academy in Sofia (Institute of Soil Science, Agrotechnologies and Plant Protection) (Photo 7), University of Mining and Geology "St. Ivan Rilski" (Photo 8), Mini Maritsa Iztok EAD (Troyanovo-3 Mine), and Sofia University "St. Kl. Ohridski" presented their recent results on the analysis and assessment of different aspects of coal and dump organic geochemistry.
The scientific activities were organized in two morning and one afternoon sessions: "Organic geochemistry of dumps and Technosols", "Petrography and Organic geochemistry of lignites" and session "Geological features of lignite deposition and dumps characteristics". In the afternoon, a short visit to some of the labs in the Institute of Organic Chemistry with Centre of Phytochemistry was paid: Prof. DSc V. Dimitrov (Photo 9) showed an equipment for extraction under high pressure; Prof. Dr. P. Shestakova (Photo 10) demonstrated the possibilities for structural analyses offered by National Centre of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy; GC-MS apparatus Hewlett Packard 6890 GC System Plus/5973 MSD at the Laboratory on Lipids chemistry was presented by Assoc. Prof. Dr. D. Antonova, and equipments for extraction and fractionation were demonstrated at the Laboratory Fuel Chemistry.
The last scientific session was devoted to a roundtable discussion during which various topics were emphasized. Concluding remarks on the processes of organic matter transformation and problems related to their study and application were done by Prof. Dr. M. Stefanova. Topics that need to be further developed in future projects and cooperation were also considered.
After the long day of very interesting presentations and discussions, the workshop group undertook a field trip to the Troyanovo-3 Mine, Mini Maritsa Iztok EAD on June, 27-28th, 2019. The Director of Production of the Troyanovo-3 Mine Eng. K. Kadifeykin welcomed the group (Photo 11). Eng. G. Vladislavov, Menager of the Geological Departement of the Production Sector of the Troyanovo-3 Mine, presented the history, development, and features of the mining and exploitation works (Photo 12). The guests-lecturers visited the Troyanovo-3 Mine where Eng. G. Vladislavov presented the geological characteristics of the Upper Miocene-Pliocene section, the sediments and the basement of the Miaritsa-Iztok Basin (Photo 13). Eng. G. Vladislavov particularly explained dump structure, mining equipment and sequences of dump building (Photo 14). The workshop group visited also the Archeological Museum "Maritsa Iztok" in Radnevo (Photo 15) and the only one Rose Museum (Photo 16) and Museum of History in Kazanluk.
The extended abstracts of the reports presented were published in Abstract book "Organic matter transformations in Maritsa Iztok dump materials: view by geochemical proxies" (ISBN 978-619-91305-0-6). The Abstract book can be downloaded here.
