Booth Id:
EAEV022T
Category:
Earth and Environmental Sciences
Year:
2023
Finalist Names:
Babar, Areebah (School: PakTurk International Schools and Colleges, Gulshan-e-Iqbal Girls Campus)
Haque, Fatima (School: PakTurk International Schools and Colleges, Gulshan-e-Iqbal Girls Campus)
Abstract:
The invention of paper is widely considered to be one of the most significant advancements in human history .In the process of papermaking, trees are the most critical raw materials. Prior research has illuminated a number of drawbacks associated with utilizing wood pulp, including limited availability, high costs, potential health hazards, and environmental impact. In contrast, aquaculture has experienced a significant surge in growth to meet the increasing demand for seafood, yet the industry also generates substantial waste and surplus products that present economic and environmental challenges. This paper aims to investigate the potential use of aquaculture by-products such as seashells, green microalgae, and red seaweed as alternative sources of wood pulp. Seashell contains calcium carbonate, which served to make paper opaque and act as paper filler, provides high brightness, and improve printability. Algae contains cellulose and hemicellulose which served as binding agent for paper pulp. The agar extracted from red seaweed contains greater length of softwood fibers which contributed in strengthen paper. The hypothesis of our study posits that if we combine green microalgae, red seaweed agar and seashells as raw materials for papermaking, the resulting paper had comparable or improved physical and mechanical properties as compared to traditional paper made from non-wood or wood pulp. Although non-wood papers are made from cotton and bagasse which are inaccessible throughout the year, moreover cotton cultivation requires excessive water usage and high levels of pesticides, making it environmentally unstable. These findings suggested that aquaculture by product is a good alternative paper.