Exploring the use of locally produced activated carbon for treatment of chlordecone contaminated animals

Chlordecone (CLD) and γ-hexachlorocyclohexane (γ-HCH) are xenobiotics identified as persistent organic pollutants since 2009. Their presence in water and soils of banana and sugar crops production zones of the Caribbean islands, Guadeloupe and Martinica, led to a long term pollution of soils which is thought to last 5 to 7 centuries for the heaviest polluted andosoils. The National survey plans carried out since 2008 in Guadeloupe and Martinique revealed an unexpected contamination of animal products. This contamination is believed to result from concomitant soil ingestion by animals during pasture. The aim of this project is to formulate and test dietary non-absorbable substances with the aim to bind the compound in order to avoid its absorption or reabsorption. The use of activated carbons (ACs) prepared from biomass and exhibiting specific textural and physico-chemical properties to adsorb chlordecone and to avoid its absorption in the digestive tract, appear to be the most promising approach. Indeed, ACs are for example, widely used in the pharmaceutical industry as antidote in treatment of poisoning. Recent results demonstrated that the use of ACs has the potential to strongly reduce the bioavailability of CLD from soil for rearing animals (pigs and goats). ACs produced from locally available precursors, such as sugar cane bagasse, coconut shell with adequate textural and physico-chemical characteristics will be prepared to optimize these experiments. Two different strategies will be assessed: one performing an amendment of contaminated soil by AC, the other one bringing the AC via an additional feed