Interesting Things About Egg Shells

Did you know that Eggshell membrane can absorb 7 times its weight in carbon dioxide?

Basab Chaudhuri of the University of Calcutta and colleagues have demonstrated that the membrane that lines an eggshell can absorb almost seven times its own weight of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The carbon dioxide thus trapped could be stored in this form until energy-effective methods of using the gas could be found that would not compound the environmental problems associated with carbon emissions.

The Calcutta team explains that eggshell comprises three layers, a cuticle on the outer surface, a spongy calcium-containing middle layer and inner layer. The second and third layers are composed of protein fibers bonded to calcium carbonate. The membrane is just below the shell and is about 100 micrometers thick. Separating the membrane from the cuticle is currently not an efficient process. But, given that India alone consumes 1.6 million tonnes of eggs each year, there is certainly an incentive for improving on this situation in order to use the membrane material in climate change amelioration.

Chaudhuri and colleagues have demonstrated that a weak acid can be used to separate the membrane from the shell for use as a carbon dioxide adsorbant. The researchers point out that a mechanical separation method would be needed to make the process viable on an industrial scale. However, Chaudhuri also muses that we could all help reduce CO2 levels by exposing our egg membranes to the air after eating our eggs.

Did you know that Egg Shells are perfect for gardening also?

Start Your Seeds
Eggshells make great seed starting pots. Poke a hole in the bottom of the shell, fill it with soil, and plant your seeds. When transplanting, simply crack the shell slightly, and then bury the eggshell, plant and all.

Save your shells
If you add a layer of crushed eggshells to the bottom of planting holes, you’ll be providing calcium to the plants and improving drainage at the same time.

Make a fantastic funnel
Punch a hole in the bottom of half an eggshell, and use it as a handy, disposable funnel to fill your sprayers.

Three-minute eggshells
Place eggshells in the microwave for three minutes, remove, crush into a fine powder, and place them in a cloth sachet. Then drop the sachet into your houseplant watering can to give your indoor plants a nice nitrogen-boost.