Master Class with Dr. Sally Brown Feat. Rufus Chaney
This month I had the pleasure of visiting with Rufus Chaney. Rufus was a long-time scientist at USDA who was a critical member of the team who developed the EPA 503s. His expertise is heavy metals in general and cadmium (Cd) in particular. Cadmium in biosolids was considered a huge potential hazard back in the day. In Japan, people who ate rice grown on high Cd soils suffered weak bones with excessive fractures and kidney damage. The soil to plant to human pathway was considered to be the biggest risk for Cd in biosolids. Rufus developed the science and the regulations for Cd in biosolids. As part of this he came to understand that metals in biosolids are much less available than metals added to soils in chemical form. Pre-treatment and science have made concerns about Cd a thing of the past. Rufus was also my mentor for both my MS and PhD degrees. It was an honor and a pleasure to talk to him.
It is time to get some perspective. Too many libraries on parts per trillion or micro contaminants. I need reading glasses for regular print, let alone parts per trillion print. For this month the focus is on an issue big enough that I can do without the reading glasses- global sanitation. The Gates Foundation brought a spotlight to this with their reinvent the toilet challenge. Last week, there was an exhibit at the Foundation on the progress and accomplishments to date. As is noted in the above link 3.5 billion people (not parts per billion) lack access to adequate sanitation. This is a big problem.
The Water Environment Federation (WEF) conducts many annual specialty conferences for the water and wastewater sector. The WEF R&B (Residuals and Biosolids) is an important one that all NWB members should be interested in attending. This year the R&B24 conference will be held in Oklahoma City from June 18-21 (see the attached flyer). If you want to get caught up on the latest in industry trends and new innovations, then make it a summer destination on your travel calendar. Besides the multitude of technical presentations by experts and leaders in biosolids management, there is a trade and equipment show for you to get in contact with the suppliers to our sector. Note the early-bird deadline for registering is May 11. Looking forward to seeing many of you there.
