Green and Eco-Friendly Removal of Mycotoxins with Organo-Bentonites; Isothermal, Kinetic, and Thermodynamic Studies

In the current study the application of organo-modified bentonite for the adsorption of mycotoxins (aflatoxin B1, citrinin, patulin, and zearalenone) is presented. The modification of clays is carried out using benzyl-tri-n-butyl ammonium bromide (BTB), benzethonium chloride (BTC), and dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate (DSS). Various experimental parameters such as pH, time, adsorbent dose, and mycotoxins concentration are thoroughly studied. The modified clays (B-BTB, B-BTC and B-DSS) are characterized by X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results depicted the high detoxification efficiency (approximate to 99%) of modified clays for the removal of mycotoxins under optimized conditions (pH 5, time: 30 min, adsorbent amount: 50 mg). The adsorption capacities of modified clays are found in the order of: B-BTC (AFB1: 18.02, CIT: 18.35, PAT: 18.21, ZEA: 18.09 mg g(-1)) > B-BTB (AFB1: 17.7, CIT: 18.11, PAT: 17.95, ZEA: 17.90 mg g(-1)) > B-DSS (AFB1: 17.5, CIT: 18.02, PAT: 17.86, ZEA: 17.80 mg g(-1)). The obtained results fitted well with thermodynamic, isothermal (Langmuir) and pseudo-second order kinetics. Low cost organo-modified bentonite shows the promise in mitigating mycotoxin contamination, which could improve food safety and reduce environmental contamination.