Reality #3:  Depending on the technology utilized, liquid humic acids derived from Leonardite may be made with some amount of caustic soda, but those remotely familiar with basic chemistry will know that this is simply executing a neutralization process, which is fully described in chemistry books for junior students.  In this instance, the neutralization process results in two products Sodium, Potassium, or Ammonium Humate and water.
    However, it is possible for a liquid humic acid product to become dangerous if it is improperly made with an excessive amount of caustic substance.  Therefore it is very important to carefully check the pH of any liquid humic acid product you may decide to use.
    Liquid humic acid products should be safe to use if they are properly made and have a pH of about 10.0 or less.  Generally, the lower the pH, the better.  At pH 7.0, there would be no "excess" caustic soda (OH^-) at all in the solution as the product is completely neutral.  At a pH of 9.0 there would be an "excess" of caustic equal to only 0.0004 grams per liter of solution.  However, some companies do produce liquid humic acid products with pH levels higher than 10 (we have seen up to pH 13!).  Because the pH scale is logarithmic, the actual caustic content at higher pH levels is exponentially increased and these products can be dangerous and should not be used for application in agriculture.  For example, a liquid humic acid product with pH 13 would contain 4 grams of caustic per liter of solution or 10,000 times more caustic soda  than a product with a pH of 9.0.  Keep in mind that as you go up in pH the plant will have to use increasingly larger portions of it energy to fight off the effects of the "excess" caustic, thereby reducing the benefits of the humic acids as a whole.  This is why the pH of products is so vitally important when trying to obtain the maximum effect of humic acids.
    TeraVita uses advanced technologies in making liquid humic acid products and monitors every batch with thorough laboratory testing before releasing the product for sale.   We always make sure our products are very safe and friendly for foliar application so they will positively promote plant growth and development.