Publication
Title
Shells from aquaculture : a valuable biomaterial, not a nuisance waste product
Author
Abstract
Mollusc aquaculture is advocated as a highly sustainable food source and may play an important role in future food security globally. With production increasing worldwide, it is timely to appraise all aspects of aquaculture when considering its expanding role as a food source. In this regard, one regularly overlooked aspect of mollusc aquaculture is waste generation: namely the production of calcareous shells. Shells from the aquaculture industry are widely regarded as a nuisance waste product, yet at the same time, calcium carbonate is mined in the form of limestone and viewed as a valuable commodity. In a time of increased awareness of the need for a circular economy, the aquaculture and seafood industry should consider shells as a valuable biomaterial that can be reused for both environmental and economic benefit. This review discusses the current waste shell issue and identifies large-scale shell applications that are already in place. Further, it highlights proposed applications that have the potential to be scaled up to address the problem of waste shell accumulations and reduce our reliance on environmentally damaging incineration and landfill disposal. Of the plethora of shell valorisation techniques proposed in the scientific literature, this review will focus only on those that can incorporate large-scale shell utilisation, and do not require high-energy processing, and are thus; simple, sustainable and potentially economically viable. Further, this review questions whether, in many cases, shells can provide more inherent value being returned to the marine environment rather than being used in land-based applications.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Reviews in Aquaculture. - -
Publication
Hoboken : Wiley , 2019
ISSN
1753-5123
DOI
10.1111/RAQ.12225
Volume/pages
11 :1 (2019) , p. 42-57
ISI
000458688100003
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Project info
CACHE: CAlcium in a CHanging Environment
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 04.04.2019
Last edited 02.10.2024
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