Oyster Shell Disposal: Potential as a Novel Ecofriendly Antimicrobial Agent for Packaging : a Mini Review

The management of oyster shell disposal is an ongoing challenge in the southern coast of Korea because of continuously dumping the oyster shell in environment. Oyster shell wastes could be a biocidal alternative after calcination using a heat treatment. Calcined oyster shell is normally obtained through thermally conversion of CaCO3 (main component in oyster shell (96%)) into CaO. This study provides a brief overview of oyster shell disposal and its potential as an antimicrobial agent with a focus on calcination process, antimicrobial mechanisms, and packaging applications.