Surging Wastewater Treatment Activities Driving Demand for Chitosan

The burgeoning requirement for chitosan in the biomedical industry is one of the major factors driving its worldwide demand. Chitosan is a critical raw material for various bioactive materials. Because of its biocompatibility, the material is extensively used for producing films, sponges, fibers, and hydrogels, which are bioactive materials. Additionally, the use of this material in drug delivery systems is soaring, on account of its ability to improve water solubility and stability of drugs, increase drug uptake by target tissues or cells, mitigate enzyme degradation, and enhance cycle time, thereby improving the effectiveness and safety of drugs.

Besides the aforementioned factor, the surging wastewater treatment activities in several countries are also fueling the expansion of the global chitosan market. According to the observations of the market research company, P&S Intelligence, the revenue of the market reached $1.8 billion in 2020, and it is predicted to surge sharply in the coming years. Chitosan is produced from prawns, lobsters, crabs, and shrimps. Out of these, the demand for chitosan derived from shrimps was found to be the highest during the last few years, and this trend is expected to continue in the coming years as well.

This is credited to the ability of shrimps to develop high-yield and high-quality chitosan, which is ideal for use in wastewater treatment applications. Food and beverages, medical, agriculture, and water treatment are the major application areas of chitosan. Amongst these, the requirement for chitosan was found to be the highest in water treatment applications in the years gone by. This was because of the various coagulating characteristics of chitosan, which assist in removing metal and non-metal ions from water.

Globally, the sales of chitosan were observed to be the highest in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region in the past, and this trend will continue in the years to come as well. This is attributed to the growing research and development (R&D) activities in chitosan and rising incidence of chronic illnesses in the region. Moreover, the region is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the market in the coming years. This will be because of the chelating properties of chitosan, which make it ideal for use in the treatment of various heavy-metal-laden industrial effluents.

Furthermore, the governments and private organizations of India, Malaysia, and China are making huge investments in water treatment projects, which is also propelling the growth of the Asia-Pacific chitosan market. The players operating in the market are focusing on product launches in order to strengthen their position. For example, Axio Biosolutions Private Limited unveiled MaxioCel, which is a wound dressing product made from chitosan, in April 2020. This product provides rapid healing with high comfort, significant pain relief, and effective scar improvement.

Hence, it can be safely said that the demand for chitosan will surge sharply in the coming years, primarily because of the growing need for effective wastewater treatment and expansion of the biomedical industry all over the world.

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