Association of Government Toxicologists


Humic Substances: Benefits and Drawbacks 

Shaban I. Kotob, Ph.D  
Director of Research and Development         

ARCTECH, Inc., Chantilly, VA 20151    

 

 7:00 pm, Thursday February 24, 2011  

 (preceded by AGT's traditional buffet available from 6:00 pm)

Preceded by AGT's traditional buffet available from 6:00 pm) U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

4330 East-West Highway, 4th Floor Bethesda, MD 20814

 

The Abstract:

Humic substances (HS) are organic compounds prevalent in soils, coal and aquatic ecosystems.   They are the source of unwanted byproducts, such as trihalomethanes (THM), resulting from the drinking water disinfection process.  HS can adversely affect the health of humans, as well as cause negative hormonal-like effects on fish and invertebrates.  This research, however, capitalized on HS’s positive features. HUMASORB®, a contaminant removal medium derived from HS, was used in the detoxification of industrial, municipal, storm and acid mine wastewaters.  HUMASORB® is produced in two physical forms, solid HUMASORB®-CS and liquid HUMASORB®-L.  Furthermore, a-Hax™ of Actodemil® technology, a highly alkalized organic chemical formulated from HS, was used for disinfection of pathogens, recycling of obsolete munitions to fertilizers, and clean-up of explosives from contaminated soils.   The cation-exchange capacity (CEC) for HUMASORB-CS is comparable to or higher than that of commercial ion-exchange resins.  The CEC for Lead (Pb) is more than 5 meq/g; that for Copper (Cu) is approximately 4.0 meq/g; and for most metals it is between 1.2-5.0 meq/g.  The efficacy of HUMASORB® was demonstrated for treatment of acid mine water from the Berkley Pit in Butte, Montana.  The Berkeley Pit water contained about 3,000 ppm of 17 metals including Al, Cd, Cu, Fe, Ni and Zn.  At Johnston Island in the Pacific, HUMASORB® was used to treat 200,000 gallons of alkaline wastewater containing 20 toxic metals (both cationic and anionic) from the chemical weapons demilitarization operations.  In both cases HUMASORB® was shown to be effective in removing these contaminants to below the permitted limits.    Actodemil® technology was used at McAlester Army Ammunition Plant in Oklahoma and at Hawthorne Army Depot in Nevada for recycling of several propellants and explosives. This led to a ruling by the Nevada EPA designating Actodemil® as an acceptable recycling technology for propellants and explosives under the Munitions Rule of the USA.  At the Egyptian Army demilitarization facility in Egypt, a-Hax™ was used for decontamination of shells with TNT residue.  At the ARCTECH laboratory and after 7 days, results from the treatment of explosives-contaminated soils with a-Hax™ reduced the concentrations of 2, 4, 6-TNT; 2, 4-DNT; 2, 6-DNT, 2-Amino-4, 6 DNT and 4-Amino-2,6-DNT to non-detectable, or below regulatory, levels.  Under a US Trade and Development Agency project, HUMASORB® and a-Hax™ were used to successfully remove toxic metals and pathogens from mixed industrial and municipal wastewaters at Sadat city, Egypt.  This research demonstrates that humic substances offer a total solution for clean-up of contaminated industrial, storm and municipal wastewaters as well as for treatment of soils contaminated by explosives and wastes. 

 

The Guest Speaker:

Dr. Shaban Ibrahim Kotob has a B.S. from University of Cairo, Egypt in agriculture and soil microbiology and M.S. and Ph.D., in Microbiology and Molecular Biology from University of Maryland, College Park, Md.  He was a Postdoctoral Fellow/Research Scientist at several institutions including the microbiology department at the University of Maryland and Food and Drug Administration.  At the US Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Kotob got a public health award in recognition for his research on the Localization of the promoter for the ptl genes of Bordetella pertussis, which encode proteins essential for secretion of pertussis toxin.  He was Assistant Professor at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William & Mary teaching marine biotechnology and doing research on the detection of potential human pathogens including Cryptosporidium parvum, Giardia lamblia, Enteroinvasive E. coli, Shigella flexneri,  Aeromonas hydrophila, Enterococcus feacium, Rotavirus group A; and Streptococcus bovis Mycobacterium spp. in the environment.  Currently he is the Director of Research and Development at ARCTECH, a biotechnology and environmental company in Virginia for the last 10 years.   

 

Please RSVP by sending email to ahmokad@msn.com  before February 23, 2011. Please use in the email subject: Registration for Febuary 2011 Seminar  

New Location for AGT Meeting :  U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission 4330 East-West Highway, 4th Floor Bethesda, MD 20814

 

CPSC is located in Bethesda Towers, which is across the street from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School.  We are in the North Tower, which is one of 3 buildings that make up Bethesda Towers.  The North Tower is at 4330 East-West Highway, which is the tower farthest from the Metro/Wisconsin Avenue.  Take the elevator to the 4 th  floor.  The meeting is in room 410 B/C.  

 

CPSC is 2½ blocks from Bethesda Station on the Red Line, and about 2 miles from the Capital Beltway.  Underground parking is available until 7:00 p.m.  There are public garages and street parking with 2 blocks.   The building and garage entrances are locked at 7:00 p.m., so please arrive on time.  

 

Directions by Metro Rail

 At the top of the long escalator, turn right and go through the pedestrian tunnel, through the glass doors, up the short escalator, and out the doors in front of you. You'll be on East-West Highway. Turn right and walk about 2½ blocks to CPSC's offices -- in the last of three very large white office buildings -- on your right (4330 East-West Highway). Take the elevator to the 4th floor.  

 

Driving Directions from the Capital Beltway Inner Loop (East Bound)  

1. Exit South to Wisconsin Avenue (also called Rte. 355/Rockville Pike) into downtown Bethesda.

2. Get in the left lane and pass the major intersection of Wisconsin Avenue, Old Georgetown Road, and East-West Highway. (You can't turn left onto East-West Highway; it's one-way.) 3. Turn left at the next intersection onto Montgomery Avenue. Keep in the left lane and bear left when the road splits at East-West Highway.

4. CPSC's offices will come up very quickly on your left (look for very large white office buildings). Turn left into the driveway and follow the signs to the underground parking garage.

5. Take the elevator in the North tower/building to the fourth floor to the Guard Station.

 

From the Capital Beltway Outer Loop (West Bound)  

1. Exit South to Connecticut Avenue (also called Rte. 185).

2. Pass the major intersection at Jones Bridge Road.  

3. Turn right at East-West Highway.

4. CPSC's offices are on your left (look for very large white office buildings). Turn left into the driveway and follow the signs to the underground parking garage.

5. Take the elevator in the North tower/building to the fourth floor to the Guard Station. Note Note that East-West Highway is one-way (Westbound) in the area near CPSC.  The East bound alternate is Montgomery Ave. 

Note

Note that East-West Highway is one-way (Westbound) in the area near CPSC.  The Eastbound alternate is Montgomery Ave.

Parking

There is underground parking at Bethesda Towers, but you must arrive by 7:00 p.m.  (You can leave any time, but you cannot enter after 7:00).  The cost is $3 is you arrive after 6:00 p.m., and $6 if you arrive between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.  There is free street parking behind and on the East side of BCC high school after 5:00 p.m.  A metered public parking garage is located at Montgomery Ave. and Waverly St. about two blocks away.  Parking is also available at the Air Rights Center on Montgomery Ave.  

Security The conference room is in a public area, so there is no need to go through security.  However, the building entrance is locked at 7:00 p.m., so please arrive before then.    Questions

For questions about meeting logistics contact Mike Babich at 301-504-7253 or mbabich@cpsc.gov.  If you encounter any difficulties on the evening of the meeting, call Mike’s cell phone 240-620-2900.

 

Bethesda Map