The international Master's degree programme in "Ecotechnology and Environmental Protection" at the University of Mining and Geology "St. Ivan Rilski" prepares for future career highly qualified specialists ready to meet the contemporary challenges of the industry and society. In addition to the solid academic knowledge, the programme allows the students to develop a variety of practical skills outside the university thanks to our close partnership with renowned international companies in the field. The senior graduate students who have chosen this specialty will be trained in the impact of the energy and mineral industry sectors on the environment as well as in the implementation of efficient and environmentally friendly ecotechnological solutions, adapted to the local social conditions for sustainable industrial development and economic growth enhancement. The programme covers varied aspects of the latest methods of sustainable engineering that can reduce the damage on ecosystems, remediate the polluted water and soil, manage the wastes and ensure conservation of the biodiversity. Numerous procedures wish to hire such specialists, because all of these manufactures must satisfy strict environmental regulations and be sure that they deal with the best eco-friendly practices. The educational approach is multidisciplinary, involving close cooperation between European and world-famous scientists with high reputation, together with numerous experts and representatives of the business. Graduates of this specialty can find jobs as experts-ecologists and ecotechnologists in various industries, at the market of green technologies and environmental innovations, in the scientific and governmental institutions in the member countries of the European Union as well as worldwide. 

CONTENTS

1. Overview

   1.1. Educational Aims

   1.2. Knowledge

   1.3. Professional Competencies

   1.4. Realization on the Labour Market

2. Department and Professor

   2.1. Department Description

   2.2. Lecturers

3. Disciplines and credits

1. OVERVIEW

Generally, in this Master’s degree course are trained students who have graduated a Bachelor’s (B.Sc) or Undergraduate degree in the specialties Ecology, Ecology and Environmental Protection, Environmental Biotechnology. However, the programme is open also to students with Bachelor’s degree in natural, technical and social sciences who wish to learn the modern ecotechnologies. All classes are delivered in English language.

Educational Aims

The international Master’s programme “Ecotechnology and Environmental Protection” aims to prepare highly qualified experts with theoretical and practical knowledge in two main fields:

I. Environmentally friendly technologies and green innovations for purification and remediation of contaminated sites, waste management, reducing the damage to the ecosystems and production of renewable green energy.

II. Assessing environmental impact and prevention of pollutants (heavy metals, pesticides, xenobiotics, waste mining products, etc.) from mining, energy industry and other human activities in order to minimize any ecological disruption and to ensure conservation of the biodiversity.

The senior graduates are able to perform risk analysis for any environmental pollution and to develop a range of solutions or design eco-facilities and processes to prevent or mitigate this risk. The acquired education enables them to offer plausible solutions and new alternatives for management of ecological problems based on the concerned scientific and engineering principles for protection of the environment.

Knowledge

The Master’s degree students in the specialty “Ecotechnology and Environmental Protection” will acquire the following knowledge:

I. Design of various eco facilities as fuel cells, catalytic, magnetic, photoactive and biotechnological reactors, biofilters, reservoirs, combustion chambers and etc. Integration of these eco-friendly facilities into other technological and industrial production processes to reduce the risk of impact on the environment.

II. Ecological biotechnology, environmental microbiology and green nanotechnology, waste processing and management. Purification, remediation and restoration of contaminated sites (waters, soils, etc.), extraction of the target components, organic assimilation and production of renewable green energy.

III. Environmental instrumental analysis and ecotoxicological assessment. Economic assessment and management of the environmental impacts. Pollution monitoring and control. Modelling of geoecological processes and use of geophysical methods for environmental study.

IV. Knowledge of the environmental legislation in the European Union.

Professional Competencies

The training in the specialty provides the Master’s degree ecologists and ecotechnologists with specialised qualification characteristics necessary for:

I. Implementation of research and design activities for a wide spectrum of varied ecotechnologies and eco-friendly innovations. Improvement of current or older technological processes in order to reduce their negative impact on the environment. Design and implementation of conservation and liquidation measures in the field of mining and processing, geological exploration, energy and other industries.

II. Utilization, management and processing of solid wastes. Chemical analysis of environmental pollutants and ecotoxicological assessment of their toxic activity and risk for accumulation in the nature. Development of new eco-friendly materials (natural, biological, synthetic, nanomaterials etc.) with advanced properties, and their incorporation into modern ecotechnological innovations.

III. Implementation of ecological monitoring by using a combined approach including bioindicator organisms, biosensors, chemical analytical technology and specialised software products. Database processing and serving a wide range of industrial productions.

IV. Organisation and management of administrative and economic activities related to the protection of the environment.

Realisation on the Labour Market

Graduates of this specialty have a wide scope for realisation on the labour market. All kinds of industries want to hire specialist in ecotechnology and environmental protection, because all of these industries have to comply with environmental regulations, and have to make sure that they adhere to the best practices. Our graduates work as highly-qualified experts in various industries, science and government institutions (in the European parliament and all member countries of EU). The acquired theoretical and practical knowledge in the Master’s programme gives them flexibility in the job search and also realisation in non-governmental organisations, commercial companies as consultants and last but not least the creation of their own companies and businesses.

2. DEPARTMENT AND PROFESSORS

Department Description

The Department of Engineering Geoecology was established in 1992. The wide scope education in Ecology and Environmental Protection and Biotechnology in the Bachelor’s degree course provides the environmental engineers and biotechnologists with fundamental and specialised knowledge targeted at strategic priority areas in applied ecology, mineral and environmental biotechnology. There are seven specialised laboratories and a training field (ecological polygon) equipped with modern machines and appliances.

The senior graduates from the two majors can work in spheres related to environmental protection activities and ecological biotechnology in the geological prospecting, mining and energy branches, the chemical industry, management bodies and municipalities, structures at the Ministry of Environment and Water (MOEW) and the Ministry of Energy –(ME), environmental, pharmaceutical and agricultural institutions, consultancy companies, NGOs.

The academic staff in the department actively takes part in the development of research projects on a national and international level.

3. STUDENT LABORATORIES

Laboratory of Engineering NanoBiotechnology

Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology

Laboratory of Renewable Green Energy

Laboratory of Waste Treatment

Laboratory of Mineral and Environmental Biotechnology

Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry

Virtual Laboratory

Ecological Polygon

4. DISCIPLINES

I. ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY

The course in Environmental Chemistry aims to introduce the students to the fundamental chemical and biological processes of natural and anthropogenic compounds in the environment. The subject of study covers the sources, reactions, transport, effects and fate of the chemicals in the atmosphere, soil and aquatic environment and the impact of the human activity on them. The students are going to understand how the molecular interactions and the macroscopic transport phenomena determine the distribution in time and space of the xenobiotics released into the natural and engineered environment. Environmentally related problems with pollutants generated by the chemical, mining, energy and other industries are often characterized by integrated complexity including the diverse relationship between the structure of a given chemical and its physical and chemical properties, intrinsic reactivity, phase transfer, transformation as well as the transport processes at each level. The Environmental Chemistry is an interdisciplinary discipline, which is in-between the edges of the atmospheric, water, soil chemistry and biochemistry, and strongly relies on the advanced analytical chemistry and ecotoxicological assessment techniques. Such knowledge is particularly necessary for designing innovative ecotechnologies.

The course is divided into three parts. In the first part the Master’s degree students learn the general principles of the chemical and biochemical processes in unpolluted environment. The relation between the concentration scopes of the most common natural organic and inorganic compounds and the effects on the organisms is also studied. In the second part the anthropogenic contaminants and the various ways in which such chemicals may be released in the environment. It is necessary to understand the factors that govern the input, distribution, and fate of the manmade chemicals in nature, their toxicological information and potential impact on individual organisms and the whole ecosystem. The third part examines the specific analytical techniques for characterization of samples taken from the polluted nature. The global natural problems faced by society and the contemporary views on their solution are also studied.

The course in Environmental Chemistry is important for everybody who deals with anthropogenic chemicals in the environment, governmental regulations, environmental consultations, etc.

II. BIOSENSORS AND BIOINDICATORS

In the Biosensors and Bioindicators course the general principles of operation and usage of various types of biosensors technologies as well as the application of specific bioindicator organisms for ecological monitoring are examined. The use of these two complementary to each other techniques enables the collection of statistical data and valuable information in order to accomplish full analysis of the healthy state of the environment. The biosensors provide highly accurate information about the chemical structure, concentration and quantitative distribution of the pollutants in nature, whereas the bioindicators may determine the pollution duration, its environmental accumulation and to predict the future effects on the ecosystem. Such a modern analytical approach is of particular importance for the experts in the field of environmental impact assessment and monitoring of xenobiotics. The benefits of advanced biosensor technologies over the classical instrumental chemical analysis are their extremely high specificity and sensitivity to low concentration of the analyte (including pathogenic microorganisms), rapid and continuous measurement, easy and simple implementation. The biosensor organisms are usually counted and/or morphologically characterised in the investigated habitat. Their analysis and manipulation in laboratory are carried out according to established and standardised protocols. The level of the course of study corresponds to the highly-specialised Master’s programme for ecotechnology and environmental protection.

III. ECOTOXICOLOGY

The course in Ecotoxicology is focused on the effects of toxic substances on the ecosystems’ equilibrium and their living components. It is a multidisciplinary field, which integrates ecology and toxicology. The full understanding of the ecological effects of toxic substances requires deep knowledge of the reactions and processes of the toxic substances on the organisms, especially at the population, community and ecosystem levels. The biogeochemical kinetics of toxic substances is therefore an integrated part of ecotoxicology. The environmental risk assessment requires a good knowledge of the properties and effects of numerous chemicals, their distribution in the environment, biodegradability, water solubility, solubility in fat tissue and the accumulation in the food chain. The objective of this approach is to predict the effects of the pollution within the context of all environmental factors. The knowledge in ecotoxicology enables the students to find the most efficient and effective solutions to prevent or remediate any detrimental effect in order to protect the nature. If the ecosystem has already been affected by pollution, the expertise in ecotoxicology can inform as to the best strategy of action to restore the healthy condition and functions of the ecosystem. The first part of the course presents the basic concepts of ecotoxicology, including dose-response, body residue and assimilative capacity. The second part presents information about the properties of common ecotoxicological chemicals from the point of view of their effects and distribution. The last part overviews the overall effects of ecotoxicity on individuals, entire population and community and the ways for prevention.

IV. BIOTECHNOLOGICAL SYSTEMS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

V. WASTE MANAGEMENT

VI. MODELING OF ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES

VII. MANAGEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

VIII. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY

IX. IMPACT OF THE MINING AND MINERAL PROCESSING INDUSTRY ON THE NATURAL WATER BODIES

X. GEOPHYSICAL METHODS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY

XI. ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

XII. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY