SMACUMED International Conference on Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem Nexus in the Mediterranean Region (WEFE 2023)

Revealing the Potential of Chitin and Chitosan: Sustainable Extraction and Transformation of Marine Waste for Climate Action

Nov 16, 2023, 12:00 PM

15m

The main hall (The Museum of Water Civilization in Morocco)

Poster Environment Posters session

Speaker

Dr Nadia Eladlani (Interdisciplinary Laboratory in Bio-Resources, Environment and Materials, Higher Normal School, Cadi Ayyad University, 4000, Marrakech, Morocco.)

Description

The recovery of chitinous waste from sea fishing discharged on Moroccan coasts can play a significant role in the fight against climate change. This chitinous waste comes mainly from the shells of crustaceans such as crabs, prawns, cuttlefish bones and lobsters, which are widely used in the fishing industry. They contain chitin, a polymer found in the shells of crustaceans such as prawns and crabs. Chitin can be extracted from fishing waste and transformed into chitosan, a versatile, environmentally-friendly material with numerous applications. It is important to note that the conventional chemical method of extracting chitin has its drawbacks and poses various environmental problems. Recently, green extraction techniques have seen substantial development in the field of polymer chemistry. In this study, we focus on exploring two extraction methods, microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and autoclave-assisted extraction (AEA), for upgrading cuttlebone waste to produce chitin and chitosan.
Key words: Chitinous waste, Chitin, Chitosan, Green chemistry, Ecofriendly methods, Climate change.