ISSN : 2319 – 3182, Volume-2, Issue-3, 2013 17 Extraction of Chitosan from Prawn Shell Wastes and Examination of its Viable Commercial Applications Abhrajyoti Tarafdar & Gargi Biswas National Institute of Technology, Durgapur E-mail : abhra@outlook.com, sunshine.gargi@gmail.com Abstract – Chitin is the second most abundant natural polysaccharide after cellulose and is present in the crustacean exoskeleton, insects and fungi. The shell fish industry generates a huge amount of shell waste per processing which usually cause environmental nuisance. Alternatively this waste can be utilized as an economic source of chitin and its derivative chitosan. Chitin and chitosan are considerably versatile and promising biomaterials. Chitosan, the deacetylated chitin derivative, is a more useful and interesting bioactive polymer. Despite its biodegradability, it can be chemically modified to produce derivatives which have varied applications in biomedical field. These derivatives are easy to produce and can be made commercially available easily. This study aims at the procedures of chitosan extraction from prawn shells and the use of this chitosan in successfully carrying out various applications in laboratory. Keywords – Chitosan, Chitin, Environment, Health. I. INTRODUCTION Environmental pollution is a natural consequence of human activities. It is also the result of natural processes. Volcanoes erupt and discharge gases; rains erode and transport silts and dissolved compounds; winds move dirt particles, salt particles and a wide variety of other gaseous and solid materials. In the course of human development, industrialization has made possible higher standards of living in our modern society. Such "progress" has created increased problems with wastes from processing operations and their ultimate disposal – creating water pollution, air pollution and land pollution [1]. The nature of wastes is wide and varied, being broadly classified into: agricultural, municipal and industrial. The latter source tends to produce waste of the most polluting types – the majority being chemicals (37.6% of the total) and metals (29.1%). The remainder of the industrial wastes includes such diverse materials as paper (4.6%), petroleum (2.4%), stone, rubber, leather and textiles. Of this wide range of industrial waste, some 3% is generated by the food processing industries [2]. Such waste is, however, amenable to forms of treatment because of its organic nature. Organic food waste contains proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates and fat and such components are highly polluting due to what is termed their high BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand). They are also, however, extremely valuable components which can be recovered. The shell fish industry is operative among all the costal countries and contributes hugely to the food delicacies. During the processing of prawns, shrimps and lobsters mostly the meat is taken, while the shell and head portions are generated as wastes. This results in the generation of a huge amount of waste throughout the world. It is estimated that the shell-fish industry produces about 60,000-80,000 tons of waste. The disposal of such an enormous amount of waste has become a serious environmental concern [3]. Although these wastes are biodegradable but the rate of degradation of a large amount of waste generated per processing operation is comparatively slow [4]. This results in accumulation over time and the ads to environmental concerns as they not only produce obnoxious smell but also attract pathogenic insects, flies and rodents, thus creating an unhygienic atmosphere. The immediate solution to this problem seems to be quick recycling of the crustacean shells generated and extraction of commercially viable substances to be further used in other applications [5]. As we know the shell and head wastes of crustaceans contain chitin, proteins and minerals. So by demineralising and deproteinizing the wastes chitin can be obtained [6]. Chitin can be used for various economical applications. Moreover the chitin can be further deacetylated to gargi129@gmail.com Department of Earth and Environmental Studies