Kinetic study of aflatoxins' degradation in the presence of ozone

• The influence of gaseous ozone on the degradation of aflatoxins was investigate.
• Degradation with ozone was higher in aflatoxin AFB1 and AFG1 despite AFB2 and AFG2.
• Kinetic data for the degradation of aflatoxins were calculated.
• The degradation of aflatoxins was described by a first order kinetic equation.
• The degradation of aflatoxins is an activated process.

The degradation of aflatoxins AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2 after treatment of their solutions in triple distilled water with ozone was studied and the ability of ozone, even at low concentrations, to degrade aflatoxins was proved. Ozone concentrations of 8.5, 13.5, 20, 25 and 40 ppm were applied at different temperatures on aflatoxin solutions in triple distilled water of 10 ppb and 2 ppb and the complete and rapid elimination of AFB1 and AFG1 was observed while AFB2 and AFG2 remain more or less stable. The kinetic equations for the degradation procedure were calculated by applying ozone on neutral buffer solutions of aflatoxin at 298.15, 308.15, 318.15 and 328.15 K at ozone concentrations of 8.5, 13.5 and 20 ppm and the rate constants, were determined. The degradation of aflatoxins was described by a first order kinetic equation. Finally, the activation energies during degradation of aflatoxins were calculated from the Arrhenius equation.