Recovery of waste from industry, shrimp and lobster processing

Shrimp are popular foods, from fish or shrimp farms, fast-growing industry in some parts of the world. Shrimp are traditional ingredients in many cuisines of regional abdominal muscles that form representing the tasty white meat part.

Shrimp farms were originally developed in Asia and is now widespread throughout the tropical world, representing between 33-50% of the total shrimp market.
Following the intense growth of shrimp and lobster consumption considered in the past to be luxury foods, most of these products remain in the form of bio-waste.
Increasing shrimp processing has led to increasing the amount of waste available because they are sold without the head and outer shell, 40-45% of these products being used.
These bio-wastes are stored as landfills, thrown on the ground or sea water removed, resulting in significant pollution of coastal areas of surfaces and is an important concern in terms of environmental pollution.

Shrimp and lobster residues containing biopolymers such as chitin and chitozanul, compounds with great economic importance. Because of special biological properties, biodegradability and biocompatibility of its chitozanul is widely used in medicine and pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food, agriculture and biotechnology.

Biomedical applications of these materials are different from sutures, bandages and ointments for healing wounds, contact lenses and artificial skin to controlled release drug systems.

The cosmetic industry is used in hair care products such as shampoos and hair dyes, but also in skin care products such as creams, lotions, private foundation, lipstick and makeup.

Chemical derivatives of chitozanului materials were studied as antimicrobial against a wide range of target organisms such as algae, bacteria, yeasts and fungi. In agriculture, chitozanul is mainly used as seed treatment and booster natural growth of plants as bio-pesticide organic plant that stimulates the innate ability to defend against fungal infections.

Chitozanul can also be used in water treatment plants because it has the ability to bind fine sediment particles are then removed with them during sand filtration. It is used to remove phosphorus, heavy metals and of oil from water.

Because chitozanul is one of the most abundant biodegradable materials in the world and because of its multiple applications to open a new market for waste left after processing process shrimp and lobster.