Research & Reviews: Journal of Veterinary Science and Technology

ISSN: 2319-3441 (Online), ISSN: 2349-3690 (Print)

Volume 9, Issue 2 and 3
www.stmjournals.com

Eggshells
A.S. Dutta*
Assistant Professor, Department of Plastic and Polymer Engineering, Maharashtra Institute of
Technology, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India

Abstract
Egg shells which are very easily discarded as waste are very rich source of calcium. This
calcium if utilized properly can turn out to be a boon rather than a waste material. The first
step is collection of egg shells of different birds in ample quantity. These shells are then
pretreated and then subjected to pulverization to obtain a fine egg powder. From this egg
powder calcium extraction is carried out and comparative study of calcium obtained from
different bird egg shells is done. The powder obtained can be used as a fertilizer, for plant
growth stimulation and various other applications. As this waste is calcium rich it can be used
as filler in situ with different polymers and its mechanical properties can be tested using
universal testing machine (UTM). The properties that can be tested are tensile strength,
compressive strength, elongation %. Also impact strength can be tested using Izod Impact
tester.

Keywords: Egg shell, fertiliser, composite, calcium, waste.

*Author for Correspondence E-mail: [email protected]

INTRODUCTION because water takes away this outer layer and

An egg shell is the outer covering of a hard- could alter the egg preservation.
shelled egg and of some forms of eggs with
soft outer coats. The major component of the Edibility of Eggshell
eggshell is calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Although eggshell is very rich in calcium. This
calcium is little available and absorbable by
Eggshell contains nearly 94% calcium the body and cannot be eaten directly.
carbonate which can be utilized in a number of Moreover its direct intake creates internal tract
ways. This automatically results in wastage disorders.
reduction, cleaning of the environment
Eggshells contain a major ratio of calcium However, there are techniques that are used in
carbonate and also very small amounts of some regions of the world to soften it and to
calcium phosphate and magnesium carbonate. make it edible. The softening base is produced
by any acidic substance. Thus, eggshell can be
The weight of an eggshell constitutes to nearly used as an additional source of calcium in
10% of the total weight of the egg and its role areas and populations with low purchasing
is to protect its contents because of its power and potential nutritional deficiencies
hardness and thickness. due to insufficient intake of this important
mineral.
We should note that an eggshell is not a
smooth, impervious surface, (Figure 1) but on Eggshell thickness can vary according to how
the contrary, it contains thousands of pores the hen has been fed; being more fragile if it
(over 7000), which helps the chick to breath. has not been fed properly. We can find
In addition, it is covered by a thin layer that different breeds of chickens, so we obviously
covers the pores and increases its ability to can find in the market eggs of different
protect the inside of an egg against external colours, from almost white, to other brown or
strange agents. For this reason, egg must not dark brown. The most commonly used
be washed until just before consumption, eggshell is that of hen. Similarly eggshells of

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Eggshells A.S. Dutta

other egg laying birds are also available and content is about 50% more in duck eggs, as
have composition similar to that of hen against chicken eggs. The amino acid content
eggshell. The colour of an egg does not imply profile is also similar for both eggs, but again
any difference in its qualities and nutritional duck eggs contain more of them. The amino
properties [1]. acids included are threonine, isoleucine,
trytophan, leucine, methionine, lysine, cystine,
Chicken and Duck Egg Shell tyrosine, phenylalanine, valine, serine, glycine,
Though chicken eggs are most commonly proline, aspartic acid, histidine, alanine, and
used, duck eggs are still catching on as arginine [1].
effective alternatives. Much less is known
about duck eggs, compared to chicken eggs. So all in all, duck eggs are a good choice
So going through this might clear all the nutritionally. The only minus point that duck
mystique myths about it. Duck eggs are quite eggs have is the considerably higher
large compared to chicken eggs, which makes cholesterol content, compared to chicken eggs.
them easily distinguishable. Another 100 gm of duck eggs will contain 884 mg of
difference is that the duck egg's shell is a lot cholesterol, compared to 425 mg in chicken
tougher than a normal chicken egg's shell. eggs. That's why; people with history of heart
Though that makes them a lot more difficult to disease should stay away from consuming
crack, it is also supposed to provide them with duck eggs or moderate their intake. People,
a considerably longer shelf life. By long, it who are looking for a high protein diet, can
means six weeks at maximum, if you keep avoid eating the yolk, while profiting from the
them refrigerated. Still, eating fresh eggs is protein laden eggwhite.
highly recommended. The large size of the
duck egg gives it a larger yolk to white ratio Taste & Utility
than a chicken egg. So if you want more yolk, Duck eggs provide a taste that is different and
duck eggs are what you should go for. tastier than chicken eggs according to most
users. Individual tastes might vary, so it is best
Nutrition if you try one out to decide! Everything that
A 100 gm of duck egg will provide about 185 you do with a chicken egg can be done with a
KCal of energy, compared to 149 KCal of duck egg. That includes scrambling them,
energy provided by a chicken egg. Both types poaching and baking. In fact, most expert
of eggs, match each other in terms of bakers report that using duck eggs makes their
carbohydrate content, while the protein cakes rise higher and provides them with
content is slightly higher in the duck eggs excellent taste due to their high fat content. As
compared to chicken eggs. The mineral the water content in duck eggs is lesser than
content of duck eggs is very similar. Both chicken eggs, you need to be careful not to
contain selenium, manganese, zinc, copper, overcook them, which have a tendency to
potassium, sodium, phosphorus, calcium and make them rubbery. The larger water content
iron. The duck eggs contain slightly higher also makes the duck egg white harder to whip,
amounts of all these minerals. but they are worth the effort. Salted ducks
eggs are a popular Chinese recipe that you
Same is the case with vitamin content in both might want to try out. There are plenty of duck
of them. The vitamin content too is similar, egg recipes that you can make [1].
but duck eggs have a higher amount of each
one of them, which includes thiamin, niacin, Oyster shell
riboflavin, pantothenic acid, folate, vitamin Oyster shell refers to the inner and outer shell
B6, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin of an oyster (ostrea or ostrea edulis). The outer
B12 and retinol. surface of the shell ranges from grayish-white
to yellowish-purple in color, and is depressed
100 gm of duck eggs will have about 3.68 gm or uneven, with concentric scales that emanate
of saturated fat, compared to 3.1 gm in from the back of the shell; the inner surface is
chicken eggs. The monounsaturated fat almost always white and smooth, although the

RRJoVST (2020) 1-5 © STM Journals 2020. All Rights Reserved Page 2
Research & Reviews: Journal of Veterinary Science and Technology
Volume 9, Issue 2 and 3
ISSN: 2319-3441 (Online), ISSN: 2349-3690 (Print)

edge may sometimes be purple [2]. The shell to carry its massive body because of its high
contains a variety of vitamins and minerals, centre of gravity Most shell coiled to right
especially several derivatives of calcium (dextral), although a few coiled to left
(calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate and (sinitral) The central axis of coiling is called
calcium sulfate) [3]. Oyster shell has no smell the columella and at the anterior end of the
and a gritty, slightly salty taste. shell forms the inner lip of the mouth opening
called the aperture [4].
In traditional Chinese medicine, oyster shell
has salty and cool properties, and is associated The group of snails that is common in this part
with the Liver and Kidney meridians. Its main of the world belongs to the family of the
functions are to calm the liver and suppress achatinadae, also known as the achatine snails.
overactive yang; tranquilize the mind; arrest The family members include (i) achatina
discharges and induce astringency; and soften achatina (ii) achatina maginata (iii) achatina
hardness and nodules. It is often used in fulica (iv) linicolarial species. The achatine
conjunction with dragon bone and white peony snails are the largest terrestrial snails on earth.
root in Chinese herbal remedies. The largest achatina achatina may grow to a
body size of more than 12 inches and length of
Research in China has shown that processed the shell to 10 inches. The shell has a
oyster shell dissolved in water can reduce the brownish color with a characteristic stripe
incidence of gastric ulcers. Oyster shell has pattern.
also been shown in animal studies to revitalize
the immune system and shrink the size of The main constituent of the shell is calcium
some types of tumors. Because of its sedative carbonates which are either of two crystalline
effects, it is sometimes used to normalize forms calcite and aragonite. The remainder is
blood pressure and promote sleep. The typical organic matrixes which constitute a protein
dose of oyster shell is 15-30 grams, taken with known as conchiolin that usually make up to
water as part of a decoction. This dosage can 5% of the shell. The fine structure of mollusks
increase or decrease depending on the type of shells has been studied by using various
condition being treated .Oyster shell is usually techniques including scanning electron
available as a powder and sold in capsule or microscope of broken surfaces. In each of
pill form. Oyster shell decoctions are also them, blocks or stripe of calcium carbonate are
available at some Asian markets and specialty separated by a thin layer of conchiolin.
stores [2].
Sources and Processing of Eggshell
Snail shell Eggshell can be collected from poultry farm,
Snails belong to the phylum molluscs and to houses, hotels, bakeries, fast food industries
the class gastropods; this class includes the etc. Collection of eggshells from these sources
gastropods, slugs and snails. Most gastropods in a large amount was done, because of large
have a single usually spirally coiled shell into scale usage of eggs (Figure 1).
which the body can be withdrawn. Gastropods • After collection they are cleaned with tap
are characterized by ‘torsion’ a process that water.
results in the rotation of the visceral mass and • In next step they are boiled in filtered
mantle on the foot The mantle cavity of the water and then cooked in it for 10 minutes.
gastropod (including anus) lies in the anterior • The water is drained out.
body. When the snail’s body is drawn in to the • Then the eggshells are spread out on glass
shell, it is sealed by a Horney plate called the or stainless steel baking sheet and dried
operculum. for an overnight period.
• After this to ensure complete drying they
The typical gastropod shell is a cone, coiled are kept in the oven at 200°C for about 10
round a central axis as a spiral geometrically. minutes.
The simple reason for this coiled shell is • The last step is grinding these shells either
because an uncoiled shell would be impossible in a mixer or a blender (Figure 2).

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Eggshells A.S. Dutta

(Figure 3). Eggshells include lots of other

nutrients that are great for plants. For using
these eggshells as compost they can be either
crushed or ground and mixed up with the soil
[4].

Fig. 1: Collection of Egg Shell [5].

Fig. 3: Eggshell as Compost [7].

Fertilizer
Along the same lines, these crushed eggshells
can be potted in the hole of planting pot and
Fig. 2. Eggshell Powder [6]. cover it with the soil. Followed by this after
every fortnight these shells are crushed and
This powder has enormous applications in sprinkled around the plant base. Eggshells are
various fields. a great way to add calcium to compost as
shells have a very high surface area to volume
Applications of Eggshell ratio, and they decompose very quickly.
This eggshell has numerous applications in
various fields such as calcium supplement, While calcium is considered a secondary
fertilizer, seedling starters and time to time nutrient for plants, but for plants having
these applications have been explored. One of calcium deficiency they are quite beneficial.
the applications of eggshell is its substitute for For this reason these shells are being used as
gypsum. Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral fertilizer for tomato and pepper plants which
composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with lack in calcium [4].
the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is
widely mined and is used as a fertilizer, and as Prevent Blossom end Root
the main constituent in many forms of plaster, Tomatoes and cucumbers plants are especially
blackboard chalk and wallboard. prone to blossom end rot. Here the calcium
carbonate of the eggshells helps the plants to
Gypsum is made up of calcium sulphate and fight this disease. Merely by sprinkling
this can be artificially prepared by reacting eggshell on the plants occurance of blossom
eggshell powder with sulphuric acid. A simple end root can be avoided.
laboratory procedure results in not only usage
of eggshell but also getting a useful mineral Seedling Starters
out of it. Some of the applications are listed For growing new plants, first one or two seeds
below. are sown in an eggshell .The bottom of this
shell is having a hole for draining out
Composting unwanted material. Once new growth of plant
Eggshells are rich in calcium with about 750 starts, they can be further planted in a bigger
to 800 mg of calcium in each medium eggshell pot along with the eggshell.

RRJoVST (2020) 1-5 © STM Journals 2020. All Rights Reserved Page 4
Research & Reviews: Journal of Veterinary Science and Technology
Volume 9, Issue 2 and 3
ISSN: 2319-3441 (Online), ISSN: 2349-3690 (Print)

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also helps in reducing the harmful effects of it
to the environment as well as in some
applications it becomes a cheaper alternative Cite this Article
as against the commercially available material. A.S. Dutta. Eggshells. Research &
Therefore, keeping in mind the environmental Reviews: Journal of Veterinary Science
aspects the usage of eggshell for various and Technology. 2020; 9(2 and 3): 1–5p.
applications should be increased.

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