Shrimp discards purify blackwater in Brazil

Posted On: November 18, 2009

A team of scientists at the University of South Santa Catarina (Unisul) have discovered that shrimp heads, which are normally discarded by consumers, have large numbers of efficient enzymes to treat blackwater and industrial waste.

According to the experts of the Group of the Investigation of Enzymatic Catalysis and Organic Synthesis of Unisul, these enzymes are capable of absorbing the toxic substances in contaminated water.

The investigators verified that the shrimp heads and other parts of the shell are rich in oxidising enzymes and lipases, which can be used as an alternative to degrade contaminants in domestic and industrial blackwater, reports Ciencia Hoje.

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