The production of cement is a major source of carbon emissions, so the less of it that's used, the better. A new study could help, as it shows that cement can be made much stronger with the addition of material derived from waste shrimp shells.

Led by Assoc. Prof. Somayeh Nassiri, scientists from Washington State University and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory started by extracting a compound known as chitin from shrimp shells that would otherwise have been discarded.

Chitin is the world's second-most abundant natural biopolymer (after cellulose), and is found in the shells of various crustaceans. Among other things, it has recently been used in the production of compostable food wrap, mosquito-killing nanoparticles, and an antibacterial coating.