Prawn Shell Research Articles

Production and characterization of chitosan of crustacean shells

After cellulose, chitin is the most prevalent biopolymer. The purpose of this work was to produce and characterize chitosan from expended crustacean shells (crab, prawn, and shrimp), primarily from Lagos State in Nigeria. Three main processes—deproteination, demineralization, and deacetylation—were used to manufacture their chitosan. The produced chitosan samples were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyses, respectively, for functional components (ligands), surface shape, mineral constituent, and chemical constituent. The crab, shrimp, and prawn shell chitosan absorption altitudes ranged from 3360 to 893, 3775 to 570, and 3761 to 707 cm−1, respectively, in FTIR wavelengths; while both shrimp and prawn shell chitosan showed a clear and small filament lucent shape, the SEM pictures of crab shell chitosan showed a non-permeable, loosen skin semblance made up of protruding openings, tiny threadlike, and mineral form. Additionally, the chitosan found in shrimp shells is permeable and comprises granular layers. The crustaceans' related XRD results showed two tiny altitudes at 20°, 35°, 19.50° and 29.52°, 25.79° and 32.02°. Shrimp and prawn chitosan were both found to contain CaO, with larger proportions of 81.60 and 84.02%, respectively, according to XRF analysis. In general, all of the chitosan samples had amine, amide, carbonyl, carboxylic acid, hydrogen, and hydroxyl ligands (among others), which gave them better metal comity and band capability. As a result, the prepared chitosan of crab, prawn, and shrimp portrayed appropriate attributes for the adsorption techniques.

Screening of chitin degrading bacteria from the gut of Asian common toad Duttaphrynus melanostictus: Implication for valorization of chitin rich seafood waste

Chitin is a structural component of many invertebrates and the second most abundant biopolymer after cellulose. Owing to its high insolubility, waste management of chitin rich seafood has severe environmental consequences. Despite the value added bioconversion of waste chitin into commodity products like reducing sugars, its biodegradation by bacteria is still lacking. To this end, we have isolated and characterized chitin degrading bacteria from the gut of common Asian toad, Duttaphrynus melanostictus . The isolates, FG4 and ND3 demonstrated highest chitin degradation activities of 1.44 ± 0.129 U/mL and 1.269 ± 0.138 U/mL respectively. Molecular phylogeny using 16S rRNA gene sequence affiliated FG4 to Stenotrophomonas maltophila and ND3 to Bacillus paramycoides , respectively. Among the tested substrates, highest chitinase activities of 4.210 ± 0.070 U/mL and 1.724 ± 0.494 U/mL were exhibited by S. maltophila FG4 on prawn shells (PS) and chitin flakes (CF), respectively. Similarly, the highest substrate degradation ratio of prawn shells and chitin flakes were 49.52% and 38.15% by S. maltophila FG4. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy revealed adhesion of bacteria and creation of pores on the substrates. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X - ray diffraction analysis revealed hydrolysis of prawn shells and chitin flakes by bacteria. Further, the high-resolution mass spectrometric (HRMS) analysis confirmed production of N-acetyl D glucosamine by S. maltophila FG4 on prawn shells. Thus, the present study identifies D. melanostictus gut as a unique reservoir to isolate chitinolytic bacteria that may have potential industrial and therapeutic applications. • First report of bioprospection of amphibian guts for bacteria capable of chitin hydrolysis. • Gut chitinolytic isolates could utilize sea food wastes as sole carbon source. • Applications in production of valuable byproducts such as N-acetyl-D-glucosamine.

A green extraction process of nanocarbon dots from prawn shells, and its reinforcement in epoxy polymers

AbstractExoskeletons of prawn, shrimp, and crab discarded as waste are rich sources of inorganic and organic materials. Currently, these discards are mainly utilized for the extraction of chitin and less attention is paid to the recovery of other organic constituents present in the exoskeletons. The present study aimed to synthesize nano carbon dot (CD) and chitin from prawn shell, and utilization of CD as an additive to epoxy polymers to obtain a corrosion resistant polymer coating. Nano CDs were synthesized through a hydrothermal carbonization process and the characteristics were evaluated using spectrophotometric, fluorescence, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies. The CD reinforced bisphenol epoxy polymer composite coated over boat building steel exhibited the least defect, which in turn imparted the highest polarization resistance with the lowest capacitance. Chemical and morphological data of epoxy polymer composite highlighted the interaction of NH2 present in CD with polymer matrix. The functional group NH2 from CD synergistically acted along with hardener to form a pore free epoxy coating. Hydrothermal process of prawn shell enabled to extract chitin as evidenced by their spectral signature peaks. This study gave two economically important products through a green synthesis protocol.

Toxicity Test of Windu Shrimp (Penaeus monodon) Skin Chitosan With Brine Shrimp Lethality Test Method

Chitosan is a modification of chitin compounds that are widely found in the outer skin of crustacean animals such as shrimp and crabs. This research includes isolation of chitin and chitosan: deproteination, demineralization, depigmentation and deacetylation namely transformation of chitin into chitosan, characterization of chitosan, FTIR, and chitosan toxicity test with five concentrations of test solution, namely 100 g/ml, 250 g/ml, 500 g/ml, 750 g/ml and 1000 g/ml using the BSLT method by looking at the number of deaths of Artemia salina L larvae (LC50). The results of tiger prawn shell chitosan (Penaeus monodon) obtained the % degree of deacetylation of 60%. The results of the toxicity test showed that chitosan was not toxic to Artemia salina Leach, indicated by the LC50 value > 1000µg/ml. chitosan windu 4994.16 g/ml, chitosan is not toxic

Morphological and structural characterization of chitin as a substrate for the screening, production, and molecular characterization of chitinase by Bacillus velezensis.

The processing of shellfishery industrial wastes is gaining much interest in recent times due to the presence of valuable components. Chitin is one of the valuable components and is insoluble in most common solvents including water. In this study, a novel gram-positive bacterial strain capable of solubilizing chitin was screened from a prawn shell dumping yard. The chitinolytic activity of the isolated strain was observed through the zone of hydrolysis plate assay. The hyper-producing isolate was identified as Bacillus velezensis through the 16S rRNA sequencing technique. The structural and morphological characterization of raw and colloidal chitin preparation was carried out using FTIR, XRD, and SEM analysis. The residual protein and mineral content, degree of polymerization, and degree of acetylation were reported for both raw and colloidal chitin preparations. There was a linear increase in the chitinase activity with an increase in the colloidal chitin concentration. The maximum activity of chitinase was observed as 38.98 U/mL for the initial colloidal chitin concentration of 1.5%. Supplement of additional carbon sources, viz., glucose and maltose, did not improve the production of chitinase and resulted in a diauxic growth pattern. The maximum chitinase activity was observed to be 33.10 and 30.28 U/mL in the colloidal chitin-containing medium with and without glucose as a secondary carbon source, respectively. Interestingly, the addition of complex nitrogen sources has increased the production of chitinase. A 1.95- and 2.14-fold increase in the enzyme activity was observed with peptone and yeast extract, respectively. The chitinase was confirmed using SDS-PAGE, native PAGE, and zymograms. The optimum pH and temperature for chitinase enzyme activity were found to be 7.0 and 44°C, respectively.

Preparation and application performance of graft-quaternization double modified chitosan electrospun antibacterial nanofibers

Inexpensive, biodegradable and antibacterial nanofibers were developed through graft-quaternization double modification of chitosan (CS) as a potential substitute for those from petroleum products. Chitin is available in large quantities at low price from fishery by-products, such as crab and prawn shells. However, native chitin and its derivative - CS have poor solubility in common spinning solvents, are difficult to be used as regenerated fibers, exhibit mediocre antibacterial property, and have limited medical application as functional fiber. In this research, CS-g-polydimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (PDMAEMA) and its quaternized product were prepared successively. Various nanofiber membranes were produced by electrospinning using the modified CS/PVA acetic acid blend spinning solutions. Effects of grafting ratio (GR) of DMAEMA and degree of quaternization (DQ) on major application performance of the blend nanofiber membranes, e.g. fiber fineness, tensile property, moisture-penetrability, and inhibition of E.coli and S.aureus, were evaluated systematically. When the GR and the DQ were 21.5% and 12.3% respectively, the quaternized CS-g-PDMAEMA/PVA blend nanofiber membrane possessed satisfied fiber fineness and smoothness, high tensile property and moisture-penetrability. In addition, the nanofiber thus produced had higher inhibition function to S.aureus than many commonly used antibacterial fibrous membranes.

Deproteinization of Shrimp Shell Waste by Kurthia gibsonii Mb126 immobilized chitinase

This work was aimed at immobilization, characterization, and utilization of chitinase from Kurthia gibsonii Mb126. Immobilization of Kurthia gibsonii Mb126 chitinase on glutaraldehyde treated chitosan was carried out with immobilization yield of 106%. The optimal factors of the immobilization technique such as concentration of glutaraldehyde, chitinase concentration, and immobilization time were evaluated. After optimizing process parameters of immobilization (Glutaraldehyde concentration 4%, chitinase conc. 60mg, immobilization time 30min.), the specific activity of immobilized chitinase improved to 4.3-fold compared to the free form of chitinase. Temperature and pH optima of the immobilized chitinase and free enzyme were same i.e., 7.5 and 40°C respectively. The relative activity of immobilized chitinase remained 90% at 40°C, at 50°C, and at 60°C for 120 min. In the pH range from 5.5 to 8, the immobilized chitinase retained 100% activity. The results confirmed that the pH stability and thermal stability of chitinase increased by immobilizing chitinase on chitosan. The immobilized enzyme system maintained 90% of its efficiency even after 16 successive reaction cycles. The immobilized chitinase maintained 78% of its activity even after 20 months. Fermentation of prawn shell waste with immobilized chitinase indicated a high level of deproteinization. Deproteinization experiments were carried out with 5mL (0.4 mg/mL ) of immobilized and free chitinase on 300 mg/mL of prawn shell waste for 20 days without any additional supplements at 40°C and 6.5 pH. Protein content was reduced from 38.4 to 0.8% with immobilized chitinase. Results suggests the possibility of using immobilized enzymes to remove the prawn shell waste from the environment. To the best of our knowledge there was no such study about the deproteinization of prawn shell waste using immobilized chitinase till the date.

Studies on the Production of Protease by Aspergillus Oryzae Ncim 637 under Solid-state Fermentation using Mixed Substrates of Prawn’s Shell and Fish Meal Powder

Proteases are the enzymes that catalyze the breakdown of protein molecules into peptides and amino acids. Because of the vast variety of applications of the proteases in the current investigation. the production of protease from Aspergillus oryzae NCIM 637 was carried out under solid-state fermentation. The highest yield of the enzyme was screened using two substrate powders (Prawn's shell and fish meal powder), and it was observed that combined substrate powder has a higher potential to serve as a substrate for neutral protease synthesis by the fungal strain Aspergillus oryzae NCIM 637. Fermentation time (5 days), fermentation temperature (35°C), optimum pH (7), initial moisture content (46.40%), inoculum age (4 days), and inoculum volume were all optimized (1.0ml). The influence of additives such as carbon source maltose (2%) and nitrogen source casein (2%) was investigated, with a maximum production of 562.57U/gds. When the enzyme was partially purified using ammonium sulfate precipitation, the activity of the protease enzyme was found to be 570U/gds. Proteases have a wide range of applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and leather industries, as well as brewing.

Antifungal application of biosynthesized selenium nanoparticles with pomegranate peels and nanochitosan as edible coatings for citrus green mold protection

BackgroundCitrus production and trading are seriously affected by fungal decays worldwide; the green mold infection by Penicillium digitatum could be the most disastrous. The substitutions of chemical and synthetic fungicides with effectual natural alternatives are global demands; plant extract from pomegranates peels (PPE), biosynthesized selenium nanoparticles with PPE (PPE/SeNPs) and chitosan nanoparticles (NCT) were suggested as efficacious fungicidal agents/nanocomposites to control P. digitatum strains.MethodPPE from Punica granatum was extracted and employed directly for synthesizing SeNPs, whereas NCT was produced using ionic gelation method of chitosan extracted from white prawn (Fenneropenaeus indicus) shells. The physiochemical, biochemical and structural characterization of generated molecules were conducted using infra-red spectroscopy, particles’ size (Ps) and charge assessment and electron microscopes imaging. Antifungal potentialities were investigated in vitro and in infected fruits with P. digitatum by applying NCT nanocomposites-based edible coating.ResultsThe synthesis of PPE-synthesized SeNPs and NCT was successfully achieved, the molecular bonding in synthesized agents/composites were proved with infrared spectroscopy to have both biochemical and physical interactions. The nanoparticles had 82.72, 9.41 and 85.17 nm mean diameters for NCT, PPE/SeNPs and NCT/PPE/SeNPs nanocomposites, respectively. The nanoparticles had homogenous spherical shapes and good distribution attributes. The entire agents/nanocomposites exhibited potent fungicidal potentialities toward P. digitatum isolates; NCT/PPE/SeNPs nanocomposite was the most forceful and significantly exceeded the fungicidal action of standard fungicide. The direct treatment of fungal mycelia with NCT/PPE/SeNPs nanocomposite led to remarkable lysis and deformations of P. digitatum hyphae within 12 h of treatment. The coating of infected orange with NCT-based edible coatings reduced the green mold infection signs by 91.7, 95.4 and 100%, for NCT, NCT/PPE and NCT/PPE/SeNPs based coating solutions, respectively.ConclusionsNCT, PPE-synthesized SeNPs, and their innovative nanocomposites NCT/PPE/SeNPs are convincingly recommended for formulating effectual antifungal and edible coatings to eliminate postharvest fungal pathogen, both with protection from their invasion or with destructing their existing infections.Graphical

Preparation of chitosan/laterite/iron oxide-based biocomposite and its application as a potential adsorbent for the removal of methylene blue from aqueous solution

Remediation of dye contamination is an important concern for countries such as Bangladesh whose economy depend heavily on textile and dyeing industries. A novel biocomposite was prepared using chitosan, laterite, and iron-oxide particles via crosslinking with a non-toxic ionic crosslinker (sodium tripolyphosphate). The resulting biocomposite is biodegradable and uses locally available materials (prawn shells, and laterite). An extensive characterization of the composite is the focus of this study. To test its adsorption capacity, the removal of methylene blue from aqueous solutions was tested. Changes in adsorptive capacity due to changes in dosage amount, initial concentration, and pH were investigated. With the increase in pH, rapid adsorption has been observed, and the maximum adsorbent capacity was found to be 16 mg/g using Langmuir Isotherm. The adsorption was found to follow pseudo-second-order-reaction kinetics. As a biodegradable and renewable composite with facile separation property, this composite may be applied as a prospective adsorbent.

PH indicator films fabricated from soy protein isolate modified with chitin nanowhisker and Clitoria ternatea flower extract

Sensor films are finding wide range of applications. Different type of sensing films is fabricated for the identification of chemicals, ions, heavy metals, changes in the pH, etc. The present report is on the fabrication of pH sensitive films from completely natural sources-soy protein isolate, chitin nano whiskers and flower extract. The highly crystalline chitin nano whiskers (CNW) were extracted from prawn shell under neutral condition via steam explosion technique. Multifunctional Soy protein isolate (SPI) films were prepared by adding chitin nanowhisker and Clitoria ternatea flower extract and its effect on thermal, mechanical and moisture properties of SPI film was investigated. The isolated CNW presented a needle like morphology with a diameter of 10–50 nm and a crystallinity index of 99.67%. The extracted chitin nanowhisker was used to prepare biodegradable films with soy protein isolate immobilized with anthocyanin from Clitoria ternatea flower extract. The prepared Soy protein -chitin nanowhisker films was found to have a tensile strength of about 15.45 ± 0.97 MPa with 8% chitin nanowhisker addition. The addition of CTE was found to decrease the tensile strength of SPI-CNW film but was found to make the film pH sensitive. The developed indicator film showed visible color changes in acidic and basic medium and hence can be used to monitor the freshness of food materials.

Piezoelectric property from processed crustacean shells

The piezoelectric film was developed from bio waste crustacean of Prawn Shells (PS) and Crab Shells (CS). The absorption peak was optically canvassed at 266 nm and 377 nm for processed PS and at 249 and 276 nm for processed CS, respectively. The processed PS is about 40-46% and CS is about 40−43% transmittance in the spectral visible region. The structural and crystallographic features of processed PS and CS were studied by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The coexistence of intra and inter-molecular hydrogen bonds is also apparent from the vibrational bands of 3145 cm−1 and 3011 cm−1 for PS and 3328 cm−1 and 3159 cm−1 for CS, respectively. The presence of amino acids in the triple helix structure of the polypeptide chains in prawn and crab shell is confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. The flexibility of processed crustacean of prawn and crab shell film will be utilized as energy harvesting contrivance applications.

The impact of aerobic pretreatment of agro and industrial wastes on their biomethanation potential in Nisargruna technology

Anaerobic digestion is among the essential biological techniques used for stabilization of organic sludge from sewage and highly concentrated efflu-ents from food processing industries. It also recycles the municipal solid wastes into compost with simultaneous production of methane. The current study was performed to estimate the biomethanation potential of various agro- and industrial wastes like Jatropha de-oil cake, prawn shells, chicken feathers, bagasse, rice straw and wheat husk by mimicking the conditions in the biphasic Nisargruna biogas plant. A small volume of samples was chemi-cally characterized and allowed to decompose under aerobic and anaerobic conditions to determine the effect of aerobic predigestion (i.e. phase 1 of Nisargruna plant) on final methane production. The biogas produced was quantified by downward displacement of water. The observations indicated that approximately 60-80% methane was produced when Jatropha de-oil cake, prawn shells and rice straw was used. Conversely, the wheat straw and sugarcane wastes showed less methane formation, which may be due to the presence of complex polymers like lignocellulose and silica that considerably reduces the metabolic potential of microorganisms.

Synthesis and Physicochemical Characteristics of Chitosan-Based Polyurethane Flexible Foams

The use of shrimp waste to obtain chitosan (Ch) is an essential issue, considering a circular economy, waste management, and its application to environmentally friendly materials. In this study, northern prawn shells were utilized to obtain Ch, which could then be used for synthesizing chitosan-based polyurethane (PUR+Ch) foams with different Ch concentration. The chemical structure, morphology, hardness, thermal properties, viscoelastic properties, and sorption properties in relation to oil and water of these materials were determined. The results present that the addition of Ch into PUR influences the physicochemical characteristics and properties of the tested materials. PUR+Ch foams with 1–3 wt% Ch had more open cells and were softer than neat PUR. PUR+Ch1 had the best thermal properties. PUR+Ch2 foam with 2 wt% Ch as a whole was characterized as having the highest water sorption. The PUR+Ch1 foam with 1 wt% Ch had the best oil sorption. This paper shows that the modification of PUR by Ch is a very promising solution, and PUR+Ch foams can be applied in the water treatment of oil spills, which can be dangerous to the water environment.

Biological treatment of prawn shell wastes for valorization and waste management

Prawn shell waste (PSW) from seafood and aquaculture processing industries is currently a serious environmental concern due to improper disposal practices. Current methods for production of value added products like chitin, chitosan, pigments and protein from PSW uses harsh chemicals leading to generation of polluting effluents and green alternatives are highly desirable. Bacillus megatarium and B. subtilis, isolated from PSW were evaluated for their potential in demineralization (DM) and deproteination (DP) the shell waste for production of chitin and protein hydrolysate, alone or in combination. PSW fermentation with B. megatarium gave 73% DM and 73.28% DP when supplemented with 0.1% glucose, whereas, co-fermentation using both cultures gave DM and DP efficiencies of 70.75% and 75.12% respectively. Chitin recovery was maximum (40%) for B. megatarium and FTIR analysis showed characteristic signatures of chitin. Protein hydrolysate was enriched in essential amino-acids indicating potential to be used in feed additives.

Application of Chitosan/Alginate Nanocomposite Incorporated with Phycosynthesized Iron Nanoparticles for Efficient Remediation of Chromium.

Biopolymers and nanomaterials are ideal candidates for environmental remediation and heavy metal removal. As hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) is a hazardous toxic pollutant of water, this study innovatively aimed to synthesize nanopolymer composites and load them with phycosynthesized Fe nanoparticles for the full Cr6+ removal from aqueous solutions. The extraction of chitosan (Cht) from prawn shells and alginate (Alg) from brown seaweed (Sargassum linifolium) was achieved with standard characteristics. The tow biopolymers were combined and cross-linked (via microemulsion protocol) to generate nanoparticles from their composites (Cht/Alg NPs), which had a mean diameter of 311.2 nm and were negatively charged (−23.2 mV). The phycosynthesis of iron nanoparticles (Fe-NPs) was additionally attained using S. linifolium extract (SE), and the Fe-NPs had semispherical shapes with a 21.4 nm mean diameter. The conjugation of Cht/Alg NPs with SE-phycosynthesized Fe-NPs resulted in homogenous distribution and stabilization of metal NPs within the polymer nanocomposites. Both nanocomposites exhibited high efficiency as adsorbents for Cr6+ at diverse conditions (e.g., pH, adsorbent dose, contact time and initial ion concentration) using batch adsorption evaluation; the most effectual conditions for adsorption were a pH value of 5.0, adsorbent dose of 4 g/L, contact time of 210 min and initial Cr6+ concentration of 75 ppm. These factors could result in full removal of Cr6+ from batch experiments. The composited nanopolymers (Cht/Alg NPs) incorporated with SE-phycosynthesized Fe-NPs are strongly recommended for complete removal of Cr6+ from aqueous environments.

Fluoride removal by low-cost palm shell activated carbon modified with prawn shell chitosan adsorbents

Fluoride removal by low-cost palm shell activated carbon modified with prawn shell chitosan adsorbents

BIOREMEDIATION OF SEA FOOD WASTE IN SOLID STATE FERMENTATION ALONG WITH PRODUCTION OF BIOACTIVE AGENTS

Sea food processing generates large volumes of waste products such as skin, head, tails, shells, scales, backbones, etc. Pollution due to conventional methods of sea food waste disposal causes negative implications on environment, aquatic life, and human health. Moreover, these waste products can be used for the production of high-value products which are still untapped due to inappropriate management. Paenibacillus sp. AD, known to act on chitinolytic and proteinaceous waste was explored for its potential to degrade various types of sea food waste in solid state fermentation. Effective degradation of sea food waste, generated from variety of sources such as fish scales, crab shells, prawn shells and mixture of such wastes was observed. 30 to 40 percent degradation in terms of decrease in the mass was achieved. Along with the degradation, chitinolytic and proteolytic enzymes were produced which can have various biotechnological applications. Apart from this, value added products such as chitin oligosaccharides and peptides of various degree of polymerization were also produced which can be used for various therapeutic purposes. Results indicated that Paenibacillus sp. AD can be used for the development of a process for the infield degradation of sea food waste.

Efficacy of Chitosan as a Coagulant Aid to Alum Precipitation of Congo Red In Wastewater

The use of chitosan prepared from prawn shells as coagulant aid for congo red (CR) dye removal from wastewater was investigated in this study. Characterisation of the prepared chitosan samples showed characteristics similar to commercially available ones. The coagulation – flocculation experiment was carried out using the jar test procedure. Both chitosan and alum were used separately for the dye precipitation and then combined together. The usage of alum alone showed no precipitating effect on the CR dye molecule, while chitosan was able to considerably reduce the concentration of the dye in solution. When chitosan was used as a coagulant aid in the alum precipitation, the amount (%) of dye removed increased greatly. Optimization of the process via study of effect of pH and flocculation time at optimum alum – chitosan combination indicated that pH 4-5 and settling time of 40 min were suitable conditions for maximum decolourisation of CR dye wastewater with about 98% efficiency. Moreover, study of settling characteristics of the sludge produced from the alum-chitosan synergy was better than that produced from either of them alone. Also, occurrence of redispersion and restabilization of the precipitate was not encountered.

Analysis of copper removal using different seafood wastes by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV)

Current methods of heavy metal removal are shown to have several drawbacks: cost of operation, generation of toxic sludge and complicated procedures in the treatment. In this study, the ability of seafood waste as a sustainable biosorbent was investigated. Three commonly consumed seafood wastes in Malaysia were chosen for this study: crab shells, prawn shells and cockle shells. This study aimed to determine the differences in copper removal between crab, prawn and cockle shells at fixed concentrations and weights of shells. Differential pulse voltammetry using a modified screen-printed electrode was used to determine the concentration of copper for each waste sample. Removal of copper was first observed at different shell weights between 20 and 100 mg and at a fixed copper concentration of 20 ppm. Shell weights with the highest removal, 20 mg and 40 mg, were then used for further observation at concentrations between 1-20 ppm. At a weight of 20 mg, prawn shells showed the highest removal percentage of copper at 34.40% while crab shells and cockle shells showed the highest removal percentage of 31.22% and 12.78%, respectively. This was likely due to the presence of calcium carbonate and chitin as the main component in crab and prawn shells. Cockle shells showed low removal efficiency under these conditions. In conclusion, untreated crab shells and prawn shells were shown to successfully remove copper in water.