High value added by products recovery from fish processing waste characterization and applications in tannery industry

Abstract

Seafood consumption and related processing industries have increased with increasing global population. Global fish production was reported to be 171 million tonnes live weight in 2016 FAO 2018 of which 151 2 million tonnes was utilized for human consumption and the remaining 19 7 million tones for fish oil and meal production FAO 2018 However about 77 million tonnes of fish waste might have been produced in 2016 according to the estimation from a previous study that 45 of the live weight of fish is regarded as waste This waste contains non consumable parts such as viscera fins scales heads as well as carcasses Currently the fish waste generated in markets is collected and dumped along with municipal waste in dump sites which poses a high health risk to humans and needs immediate attention Meanwhile leather industry is an economically fast growing sector which is also a known major contributor to environmental pollution Especially the effluents are high in organic and inorganic dissolved and suspended solids content accompanied by the high propensities for oxygen demand besides containing potentially toxic metal salt residues Leather processing is characterized by heavy consumption of chemicals such as dehairing agents tanning agents retanning agents fatliquors and dyes These chemicals are usually used excessively in tanneries to ensure good quality of leathers As a result part of the chemicals would inevitably remain in the tannery waste turning the leather industry into a major cause of pollution newline