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Bentonite Clay: A Potential Natural Sanitizer for Preventing

Neurological Disorders
Partha Das and Bharat Venkata Tadikonda*

Cite This: https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00609 Read Online

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ABSTRACT: SARS-CoV-2 is a positive stranded-RNA human viral pathogen that attacks the central nervous system (CNS),
causing interminable diseases. Although alcohol-based hand sanitizers (ABHS) control the widespread transmission of such
pathogens through dermal contact, excessive exposure to alcohol mists and vapors causes CNS disorders, apart from skin infections
and negative impacts on the useful microbiome. Herein, we propose bentonite paste, which interacts strongly with different +RNA
viruses such as SARS-CoV-2/poliovirus, for dermal sanitization. Repeated hand cleansing with bentonite paste not only provides
complete protection against any viruses but also improves the skin condition. The proposed method is useful for contact isolation
and as a strict infection control tool in hospital settings and in public.
KEYWORDS: Central nervous system, SARS-CoV-2, polio, hand sanitizers, dermal contact, bentonite

S ARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), a newly discovered human viral

pathogen, is found to induce acute neurologic disorder in
humans by attacking the central nervous system (CNS). This
Accidental ingestion of the solution causes alcohol poisoning,
leading to several liver diseases and death in extreme
conditions. Further, irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) and
contagious human pathogen belongs to the family of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) are often reported due to
coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and enters the human CNS through ABHS use. And, a negative impact of ABHSs on the skin
the olfactory-hematogenous pathway.1 SARS-CoV leads to microbiota by a significant reduction in bacterial cell counts
neurodegenerative effects on human nerve and brain cells, deters ABHS application as the skin microbiota is vital for
causing loss of olfactory functions and severe ischemic stroke.2 maintaining the immune homeostasis in skin.
Poliomyelitis or the poliovirus is also a morphologically similar Herein, we propose bentonite paste, which is a natural and
human pathogen, which also has the potential to cause CNS environmentally friendly material, to effectively control the
disorders in humans. The poliovirus reaches the CNS through transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and other human viral pathogens
a peripheral nerve or through the blood-brain barrier and through dermal contact. The bentonite clays are rich in
contributes to the damage of motor neurons leading to muscle montmorillonite mineral and are characterized by a very high
weakness and sometimes complete paralysis of limbs.3 specific surface area and cation exchange capacity.5 The clay
The world is currently reeling under a human health and platelets carry a net negative charge due to the isomorphous
economic crisis caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which has substitution in the crystal lattice and positive charge on the
reached the stage of global pandemic. Moreover, no clinically edges to become an excellent adsorbent for SARS-CoV and
proven vaccine for the novel coronavirus is available yet. On other human viral pathogens. SARS-CoV and polioviruses are a
the other hand, the local outbreak of the poliovirus within the positive-stranded (+) RNA pathogens with an outer protein
unvaccinated and under-vaccinated population coverage is coat (Figure. 1b). The association of the protein spike with the
common. The cessation of human−human transmission of charged clay mineral due to different clay−virus interactions6,7
both viruses is essential, as they are contagious and have leads to a very high cohesive energy density between the virus
potential to cause infection in the human CNS. and clay surface.8 As both the SARS-CoV and poliovirus
The virus transmission occurs through hand−hand contact, pathogens have a similar surface morphology, the sorption data
contact to oral and nasal discharges, and dermal contact of match for these viruses on the clay minerals (Figure 1b). The
contaminated surfaces as the viruses survive for several hours sorption isotherm presents the relation between equilibrium
on human skin and other surfaces under the ambient liquid-phase virus concentration (log ce) and adsorbed virus
conditions. Thus, frequent hand sanitization is required for
interruption of the virus transmission chain. The current
practice of hand cleansing mostly relies on using alcohol-based Received: September 21, 2020
hand-sanitizers (ABHSs), which contain nearly 70% ethanol or Accepted: September 23, 2020
isopropanol (Figure 1a). Excessive dermal exposure and nasal
inhalation of the highly concentrated alcoholic mists and
vapors lead to severe damage to the CNS, which results in
memory disorders, nausea, slurred speech, and hypothermia.4

© XXXX American Chemical Society https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00609

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Figure 1. (a) Usual practice of hand cleansing with an alcohol-based sanitizer, (b) virus adsorption by clay particles, and (c) proposed technique
for hand cleansing.

per mass of the soil (log qe) for both SARS-CoV and medical gear. The application of bentonite slurry would not
polioviruses. The percent adsorption of coronavirus and only make the medical gear reusable and prevent the spread of
poliovirus on the bentonite soil was nearly 99.99% and 95%, the contagious virus but also safeguard the environment by
respectively, where the adsorbent dosage was in the range of maintaining sustainability goals.
0.1−0.2 mg/5 mL of the virus. Such a high affinity of bentonite
clay for the viruses, where the number of adsorption sites was
minimal, indicates a complete (100%) adsorption of the virus
■ AUTHOR INFORMATION
Corresponding Author
in the presence of a higher amount of bentonite. Thus, a very Bharat Venkata Tadikonda − Department of Civil Engineering,
high interaction energy density of 28 J/cm3 is theoretically Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039,
estimated for the protein spike of SARS-CoV-2 to the Assam, India; orcid.org/0000-0003-4283-7274;
montmorillonite surface,8 which is abundant in bentonite Phone: +3612582417; Email: [email protected], tvbharat@
clay. On the other hand, the affinity of SARS-CoV-2 for human gmail.com
enzymes is negligible (0.4 J/cm3) in comparison to the
bentonite clay. The expected binding energy density of these Author
viruses for the skin is likely to be ≤0.4 J/cm3. Thus, the Partha Das − Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute
proposed technique of using a bentonite clay paste for of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India
sanitization is a natural replacement to the existing hand Complete contact information is available at:
sanitizers for infection control. And, the ill effects associated https://pubs.acs.org/10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00609
with ABHS on the skin can be avoided. The bentonite paste
adsorbs all the available virus strain from the skin, and washing Author Contributions
with fresh water removes the bentonite clay with the sorbed T.V.B. envisaged the conception, P.D. reviewed the literature
viruses (Figure. 1c). and prepared the first draft of the manuscript, and T.V.B.
The bentonites show several medicinal benefits besides finalized the manuscript. Both authors contributed equally to
being an effective natural sanitizer for removing the virus from the manuscript and will act as guarantors.
the skin. The application of bentonite paste aids in treating Notes
skin infections and shedding the dead skin layers. Further, The authors declare no competing financial interest.

■
accidental consumption of bentonite clay does not lead to any
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