Researchers crushed mussel, cockle and oyster shells collected from a Dublin beach and added them to polluted water; the experiment cleaned the water while recovering valuable metals

A team of researchers discovered that discarded seashells have the ability to purify water by removing rare earth metals. Among various shell types, oyster shells stood out for their unique porous structure that effectively transforms dissolved metals into solid minerals. Given the aquaculture industry’s yearly production of millions of tonnes of shell waste, this innovative process presents an opportunity to recycle waste while tackling water contamination issues.