University of Sharjah turns shrimp waste into a game-changing carbon capture material

Researchers at the University of Sharjah have come up with a pretty groundbreaking approach—one that tackles two big global issues at once: how to deal with seafood waste and, on the flip side, how to improve carbon capture technologies that are desperately needed these days. Led by Dr. Haif Al-Jomard, the team has managed to turn shrimp waste, which is usually a troublesome byproduct from the seafood industry, into activated carbon that can effectively absorb CO₂. And honestly, this is quite a significant achievement because it not only helps fight environmental pollution but also underscores the idea of a circular economy—where waste isn’t just thrown away, but repurposed as a valuable resource.

Now, the seafood industry produces roughly eight million tons of waste each year. This includes things like shrimp shells, heads, and even intestinal tracts—materials that are often just discarded and left to rot, which can harm the environment over time. The researchers sourced shrimp waste from Souq Al Jubail in Sharjah, which, interestingly enough, was originally collected from Oman. They then developed a detailed process to thoroughly clean, dry, and treat this waste to create a high-quality activated carbon material.

The process kicks off with pyrolysis—basically heating the organic material in the absence of oxygen, which transforms it into biochar—a kind of charcoal with useful properties. This biochar then undergoes chemical activation using acid treatments that boost its surface area and create more pores, making it better at trapping gases like CO₂. Finally, they use ball milling, which produces finer particles and enhances the texture of the activated carbon, ultimately improving its ability to capture carbon dioxide.

According to Dr. Al-Jomard, the activated carbon made from shrimp waste shows both impressive capacity for CO₂ adsorption and good stability over multiple cycles of adsorption and desorption. This stability is key because it means the material could be scaled up for industrial use—think power plants or petrochemical industries, both of which contribute heavily to greenhouse gas emissions. The study was published in the journal Nanoscale, and it highlights how this kind of innovation lines up with international sustainability goals by cutting down seafood waste while helping reduce greenhouse gases at the same time.

And there’s more to this activated carbon than just capturing carbon. It’s water-soluble and very versatile, so it could find its way into various applications—air and water purification, solvent recovery, even extracting gold or other precious metals, and possibly medical uses too. For economies that depend on shrimp fishing, this opens up a pretty strategic opportunity to diversify sources of income through sustainable tech. Professor Chaouki Ghenai, who co-authored the research and specializes in Sustainable and Renewable Energy, pointed out that turning what’s basically a troublesome waste into a cost-effective, environmentally friendly product could have major industrial benefits.

This kind of work from the University of Sharjah isn’t happening in a vacuum. Other studies are exploring how to get even more out of shrimp waste. For example, scientists have found potent antioxidants in shrimp by-products, which could be pretty promising for health and pharmaceuticals. Plus, researchers in materials science are experimenting with shrimp shell nanoparticles to make cement stronger while cutting down on carbon emissions—sustainable building practices, you see? And then there’s the development of bioplastics from shrimp shells—like ‘shrilk’ from Harvard’s Wyss Institute—which offers biodegradable substitutes to traditional plastics and helps tackle pollution.

When it comes to carbon capture, technology is advancing quickly. Other institutions are using data-driven workflows to improve biochar’s performance—sometimes doubling its CO₂ absorption capacity by fine-tuning the synthesis process. And Chung-Ang University has worked on turning industrial CO₂ emissions into useful chemicals, reducing their overall climate impact quite a lot compared to older manufacturing methods. All these efforts illustrate a lively, multidisciplinary field that’s really pushing to address climate change through innovative materials and the principles of a circular economy.

The approach from the University of Sharjah really captures a sustainable mindset: transforming seafood waste into a resource that both fights pollution and offers economic benefits. It’s a solid example of how science can rethink waste management—showing that environmental problems, when approached creatively, can actually become opportunities for industry and sustainability to grow hand in hand.

As climate change continues to pose serious risks, advances like these in waste reuse and carbon capture are more important than ever. The shrimp waste-derived activated carbon project stands out as an inspiring model—one that could be adopted elsewhere and especially in regions like the UAE, which is investing heavily in climate tech. Turning plentiful, low-value waste into high-value products isn’t just clever—it could very well change how waste is managed, helping boost the UAE’s efforts toward sustainability and climate resilience.

Source: Noah Wire Services