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BRICS+ Media Centre 
MODERN RUSSIAN 
17.06.2617:00 
15.06.2612:00 
Venezuelan scientists recycle crab industry waste into antimicrobial component
It is important for sectors such as medicine and agriculture
In Venezuela, scientists are working on a project to recycle waste from crab production (exoskeletons) in order to obtain chitosan under laboratory conditions. This substance has biodegradable and antimicrobial properties, Venezolana de Televisión, a partner of TV BRICS, reports.
Thanks to the coordinated management of industrial waste and by-products, the raw material undergoes preparation consisting of several technical stages. First comes initial cleaning: the removal of adhering organic residues and other impurities. This is followed by drying and grinding: the exoskeletons are converted into a homogeneous material suitable for processing. Finally, chitin is extracted – the main component present in shells, from which chitosan is obtained.
This component is important for sectors such as medicine, agriculture, water treatment and the production of environmentally friendly materials. In agriculture, it acts as an “organic vaccine” for plants, stimulating their defence mechanisms, promoting root growth and protecting them from pathogens. In the food industry, it is used as a clarifying and antimicrobial agent in wines to control bacteria, as well as in food products to improve preservation. In medicine and healthcare, it helps reduce fat absorption in the stomach and is also used in tissue engineering.
BRICS countries are striving to develop a circular production economy. In Brazil, production based on recycled plastic is increasing – in 2024, growth amounted to 7.8 per cent compared with the previous year, while revenue in this sector over the same period rose by 5.8 per cent, according to Agencia Brasil.
In Russia, scientists from the Polzunov Altai State Technical University have developed a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method for recycling grape snail shells into an efficient sorbent for purifying water from heavy metals. This was reported on the university’s social media pages.
The Indian authorities are addressing the problem of disposing of waste in the form of used electronic devices, according to a publication by IANS, a partner of TV BRICS. In October, a five-year project aimed at developing a circular economy was launched. The goal is to turn discarded gadgets from toxic waste into important raw materials such as gold, silver, copper and lithium. In Delhi, plans are under way to build the first large eco-park for electronic waste recycling. In the state of Andhra Pradesh, a plant for recycling biomedical and electronic waste has begun operating in the Visakhapatnam medical technology zone, working according to a zero-waste production model.
Photo: ma-no / iStock
23.06.2613:00 
22.06.2615:00 
30 minutes 39 sec.