Bio-reactive clay minerals and anthrax decontamination: a novel antimicrobial solution

Moore, Adam, Davies, Thomas, Berube, Kelly ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7471-7229, Jones, Timothy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4466-1260 and Baillie, Les ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8186-223X 2018. Bio-reactive clay minerals and anthrax decontamination: a novel antimicrobial solution. Presented at: Focused Meeting on Emerging Zoonoses and Antimicrobial Resistance, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK, 2 July 2018.

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Abstract

Bacillus anthracis, the cause of Anthrax, is endemic to large swathes of Africa and South America. Its endospores persist in the environment and are the primary cause of infection (to animals and humans). Multiple state actors and terrorism groups have utilised the spores as bioweapons. Current methods of decontamination, whilst effective, cause environmental decimation and are themselves environmentally toxic. Thus, it is desirable to consider novel methods for decontamination of affected environments. Recently, some bio-reactive clays have demonstrated antimicrobial properties. Geochemical investigation by X-ray diffraction and Inductively-coupled plasma mass spectroscopy on a range of test clay minerals has been undertaken to help elucidate the mechanism of action. Antimicrobial ability was assessed using viability counts of hydrated clay minerals on both vegetative cells and spores of Sterne strain B. anthracis. One clay (‘French Green’) has shown Log105 reduction of viable colonies in both vegetative cells and spores (0.15g/ml and 0.05g/ml, respectively) after 20-hour incubation. French Green clay is 91% quartz mineral and has been used as a topical treatment for cutaneous Mycobacterium Ulcerans infections. These results support previous studies on other organisms. Further in-vitro toxicological studies will be employed to determine the activity of antimicrobial clay minerals on human tissue models; to ensure that deployment of the clay as an environmental decontaminant would not be hazardous to inhabitants. This study will aid the understanding of the action mechanism of antimicrobial clays and help determine the possibility of clay mineral usage as an environmental decontamination solution for bacterial contaminants.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Poster)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Pharmacy Biosciences Earth and Environmental Sciences Cardiff Institute Tissue Engineering Repair (CITER)
Subjects:	Q Science > QE Geology Q Science > QR Microbiology R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine U Military Science > U Military Science (General)
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	31 August 2018
Date of Acceptance:	7 June 2018
Last Modified:	14 Nov 2024 08:42
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/114523

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