Mineral water bottling in Bulgaria

Bulgaria is rich in sources of mineral water of temperatures in the range of 25 °C–100 °C and various chemical compositions due to diverse geological and hydrogeological conditions. A large portion of the reservoirs of low-mineralisation water is suitable for bottling. Most of them are situated in Southern Bulgaria and related to fractured hydrothermal systems, while in Northern Bulgaria mineral waters of low mineralisation are formed in the relatively shallow levels of artesian aquifers. In the last 30 years, the utilisation of bottled mineral water has increased and, currently, there are at least 18 bottling facilities, while 12 others have closed down for various reasons. The purpose of the present study is to characterise the chemical composition of the Bulgarian mineral waters utilised for bottling, in terms of geological setting, quality, compliance with regulations and possible problems associated with mineral deposition and corrosion. The water type largely depends on the host rocks. In most cases, sodium-type waters are utilized and, in the case of anions, bicarbonate and sulphate. The only exceptions are the waters formed in limestone, dolomite and marble, which are calcium-bicarbonate and calcium-magnesium type.