Aflatoxin toxicity reduction in feed by enhanced binding to surface-modified clay additives.

Animal feeding studies have demonstrated that clay additives, such as bentonites, can bind aflatoxins in ingested feed and reduce or eliminate the toxicity. Bentonite deposits are found throughout the world and mostly consist of expandable smectite minerals, such as montmorillonite. The surfaces of smectite minerals can be treated with organic compounds to create surface-modified clays that more readily bind some contaminants than the untreated clay.

Value-added processing of peanut meal: aflatoxin sequestration during protein extraction.

The efficacy of a bentonite clay, Astra-Ben 20A (AB20A), to sequester aflatoxin from contaminated (approximately 110 ppb) peanut meal during protein extraction was studied. Aqueous peanut meal dispersions (10% w/w) were prepared by varying the pH, temperature, enzymatic hydrolysis conditions, and concentrations of AB20A. After extraction, dispersions were centrifuged and filtered to separate both the water-soluble and the water-insoluble fractions for subsequent testing.

Biosolids decomposition after surface applications in west Texas.

In a semiarid environment, climate is a critical factor in the decomposition of surface-applied biosolids. This study examined the effect of 2- to 7-yr exposure times on the composition of single applications of New York, NY biosolids in western Texas. Exposure time effects on organic matter, N, P, S, Cu, Cr, Pb, Hg, and Zn were studied near Sierra Blanca, TX.

Trimethylphenylammonium-smectite as an effective adsorbent of water soluble aromatic hydrocarbons.

Homoionic trimethylphenylammonium (TMPA)- and tetramethylammonium (TMA)-clays were prepared by ion-exchange reactions using two smectite clays that differed in their cation exchange capacities and surface charge densities. These clays are referred to as a low-charge (SAC) and high-charge (SWa)-smectite. The organo-clays were evaluated as adsorbents of water soluble aromatic hydrocarbons including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, p-xylene, butylbenzene, and naphthalene.