COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CALCIUM CARBONATE CONTENT IN

EGGSHELL OF; HEN, DUCK AND GUINEA FOWL

☺ABUBAKAR EL-ISHAQ AND HADIZA DAUDA KIDA

☺ SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

SCIENCE LABORATORY TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT
FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC, DAMATURU NIGERIA.

Correspondent Address: ishaq-abubakar@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT
Increment in alternative sources of calcium for poultry birds, aquaculture and domestic
animal upsurge. This research work was designed to determine the amount of calcium
carbonate that occurs in eggshell. In this work, the comparative analysis of calcium
carbonate content was carried out for selected eggshell of hen, duck and guinea fowl by
using back titration method. The result obtained shows that local Hen eggshell contain
97.8% of Poultry Chicken eggshell contain 96.6%, Duck eggshell contain 97.9% and
Guinea fowl contain 98.7%. The authors summarized their finding that Guinea fowl
eggshell is the best sources of calcium when compare to others. However, there is no
statistical significance in all sample at α=0.05(α=5%).The paper bear some
recommendations as well.

KEY WORDS: Bones, Damaturu, Macronutrient, Osteoporosis, Stalactites, Stalagmites,

and Teeth.

INTRODUCTION too reactive to occur as free metals in

The word eggshell is a general name
given to the hard exterior cover of the
eggs it consist of several constituent with
calcium trioxocarbonate (iv) been the
major one. The word calcium is also
known as calx in Latin word and the
word serves as the name of calcium in
1808 Davy first isolated the element
from different sample shells and bones.
Calcium is a silvery white substances
and a metal of alkaline earth group with
a valency of positive two electrons and
does not occur in free instead it occur in
a compound of Calcium. The element is
nature. Instead it occurs abundantly in a
combined state as calcium
trioxocarbonate (iv) (CaCO3) in
limestone, marble chalk, aragonite,
calcite and coral; as in calcium
trioxocarbonate (iv) (CaCO3) in gypsum
and in anhydrite, as a double
trioxocarbonate (iv) (CaCO3) MgCO3, in
dolomite as calcium fluoride (CaF2), in
Fluorspar; and as various trisilicate (iv).
Bones and teeth contain calcium
tetraoxosulphate (vi).
In Nigeria, limstone’s are found at
Nkalagu in Anambra State, north of
Calabar in Cross river state, at Ewekoro

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near Abeokuta in Ogun state, Kalambina
in sokoto state, at Ukipilla in Bendel
state, in the Benue Gongola river
valleys. In most of these areas limestone
is actively quarried, and it is used
industrially to manufacture cement.
Calcium carbonate occurs naturally in
three (3) forms: Chalk, Limestone and
Marble.
Chalk is soft and crumbly (not the
blackboard chalk which is calcium
sulphite). Limestone and marble are both
hard. Limestone and chalks are both
sedimentary rocks whereas marble is
igneous rock. The aim of research work
is to determine the amount of calcium
carbonate that occurs in eggshell of
selected Birds.
OCCURRENCE AND REACTIVITY
OF CALCIUM CARBONATE
Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) occurs
abundantly as dimorphs i.e. it can exist
in two different organization forms
called calcite and aragonite. It is a white
solid, which is practically insoluble in
pure water but it; dissolve slowly in the
presence of carbondioxide given calcium
hydrogen carbonate solution which
amount for the hardness of water.
CaCO3 + CO2 + H2 Ca(HCO3)2
It dissolves in acid readily given off
carbondixode and water
CaCO3 + CO2 +2HCl2 CaCl2 + H2O +
CO2
This is an important chemical test of
carbonate in a sample, calcium carbonate
(iv) also decomposed on heating to give
calcium oxide and carbondioxide.
CaCO3 CaO +CaO2(g)
Insoluble metallic carbonates decompose
on heating calcium, zinc and copper
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carbonate gives carbondioxide and their
corresponding metallic oxide.
CaCO3(s) CaO(s) + CO2(g)
ZnCO3(s) ZnO(s) + CO2(g)
CaCO3(s) CaO(s) + CO2(g)
USES OF CALCIUM
Calcium was used as a dioxide in steel
casting and copper alloys. It is used in
the manufacture of calcium fluoride and
calcium hydride, and in the extraction of
uranium and iron, it is need in the diet of
young children and pregnant mothers. It
is an essential dietary requirement for
the development of strong and healthy
bones and teeth. In agriculture; animals
and plants calcium in macronutrient for
their survival.
Calcium carbonate as a limestone is used
for making cement. It is used in the
production of lime fertilizer. As marble,
calcium carbonate is used for buildings
decorations as well as in cement
production.
CALCIUM CARBONATE
According to Pauline (1950), calcium
carbonate is the important carbonate
mineral compound. These substances
occur in beautiful colourless hexagonal
crystals as the mineral calcite. Marble is
the crystalline form of calcium carbonate
and limestone in rock composed mainly
for those substances. Calcium carbonate
is the principal constituent of pearls,
coral and most seashell. It also occur in a
crystalline as othorliumbic mineral
aragonite. When calcium carbonate is
heated (as in lime kiln where limestone
is fixed with fuel which is burn) it
decomposed forming calcium oxide
(quick lime)
CaCO3(s) CaO(l) + CO2(g)
Quick lime is slaked by adding water to
form calcium hydroxide
CaO + H2O Ca(OH)2
Slaked lime prepared in this way is a
white powder that can be mixed with
water and sand to form mortar. The
mortar hardness is by first forming
crystal.
According to Peter (1967), calcium
carbonate being insoluble has to be
determine by titration with the amount of
acid and standard base. Any natural form
of calcium which has been powered is
insoluble. E.g. Limestone, marble,
mulliscle or eggshell.
CaCO3(s) + 2HCl(l) CaCl2(aq) +
H2O(l) + CO2(g)
OTHER FORMS OF CALCIUM
Calcium carbonate of the most massive
deposited from about 100 – 400 million
year ago. From marine animals as these
animals died their shell flowed to the
seabed, building up deposit up to 600m
in thickness ass these deposit become
decompose, they form chalk rock which
was up lifted by earth movement to form
for examples the chalk which is soft
shells can be seen easily using hand lens.
Other deposit which ahs been subjected
to greater heat and compression are in
the form of a limestone which harder
and more compact rock than chalk and
contains fewer visible fossils. Limestone
found in many of the upland areas and
also some of the worlds must spectacular
mountains in the upland and Himalayas.
SOURCES
According to Herbert and Basking
(1829) calcium carbonate is the most
standard of all calcium compounds. It
may occur either as while or colourless
crystals. Their crystals occur in two form
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i.e. calcite and they are hexagonal and in
aragonite they are rhombic. They most
familiars forms of the calcium carbonate
is hailstone which is found in stratified
layer in all part of the world, other forms
of calcium carbonate are chalk, marble.
Marble panels and corals are composed
of shells in vegetable marine animals.
Calcium carbonate is odourless and
tasteless, it decomposes at 82500C.
Although only slightly soluble in water,
it dissolves readily in water containing
dissolve carbondioxide to form
bicarbonate.
CaCO3 + H + CO3 Ca(HCO3)2
According to Ababio, (2001) calcium
carbonate (CaCO3) occurs abundantly as
donor in the earth crust as limestones,
marble and chalk as well as natural ores
like calculi, dolomitize and spar. It is
found in arose in many part of the world
as stalactities and stalagmites. It is also
an important constituent of the bones, of
animals and external skeleton of marine
environment. It can be precipitated by
mixing solution of sodium,
trioxocabonate and calcium chloride.
Calcium carbonate in practically
insoluble in water but soluble in dilute
acid, it reacts with acid to give off
carbondioxide as a particle/by product
that is basis for sample test fort is
presence in minerals (McHale and
Witzke, 1977).
EGGS
A single large living female sex cell
enclosed in porous calcarous through
which gases may pas, although they vary
in size, shape and colour. The eggs of
chicken, ducks, geese and turkey are
essentially the same in surface and
content. In ward from the shell are outer
and the inner shell membrane which are
also permeable to gases. The membrane
are constructed to prevent rapid
evaporation of moisture form the egg but
to allow free entry of oxygen which is
necessary for life are begin to penetrate
the shell soon after the egg is laid, and
tend to accumulate a space between the
two membranes at a large end of egg.
The inner shell membrane allows a
surround a mass of fluid albumin which
in turn encloses a body of dense
albumin. These two types of protoplasm
constitute the so-called egg white. The
internal part of the egg is nucleus and its
associated organelles. The yolk consists
of alternating layer of yellow and white
yolk. The yolk encloses by the vet line
membrane held in place by chalaza
which is around at each end of the egg
and prevent undue mechanical
disturbance.
In summary, bird’s egg contains embryo
or germinal disc and a large food supply
or yolk. The yolk is suspended in the
albumin by thick jelly-like thread called
chalaza, albumin is the white of the egg
and its main function is to provide the
developing embryo with water, between
the albumin and the shell are two
membranes. These are separated by an
air space at the blunt end of the egg. The
outer covering or egg shell is made up of
chalk and porous so that gases pass
through it (Stone, Cozens and Ndu,
1999).
MATERIALS
The eggs of the different samples was
purchase at Damaturu poultry market,
broken into a beaker, water was added to
the egg before pouring down the drain.
They shell was wash with ionize water
and peel off all of the shell membranes
from inside of the shell, then the shell
was rap into a toilet paper to dry the
water content and dry in the oven for
about 10 minutes. Finally the shell was
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weigh and grind into a fine powder using
mortar and pestle.
METHODOLOGIES
 1g of each of the sample was
weighed on a weighing balance
and put into the conical flask by
adding several drops of ethanol
which act as a wetting agent and
helps the HCl dissolve the
calcium carbonate (CaCO3).
 10ml of 1.0M HCl solution was
measured in measuring cylinder
(10ml) into each flask and swirl
the flask to wet the solid.
 The solutions in the flask were
heated until they begin to boil
and were allow to cool. i.e. for
complete digestion.
 3 drops of phenolphthalein was
added to each flask, using a
funnel, a clean burette was partly
filled 0.1M NaOH solution to
rinse it and was empty into the
sink then the burette was again
fill with NaOH solution and run
some solutions out to remove all
of the bubbles from the tip. The
initial volume was recorded ±
0.01ml
 The first sample was titrated
against NaOH to the first
persistent pink colour, when it
was close to the end point, the
colour faded slowly and the
remaining NaOH was added drop
wise until the colour remains for
some seconds where the final
volume was recorded.
 Then the titration for the other
samples was repeated and the
percentage of calcium carbonate
in each shell was calculated.
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
All samples result were calculated from 2 mols HCl
triplicate assay and expressed as the
means ± standard error of mean (SEM) Moles HCl reacted
at α=0.05(α=5%). = 0.010 – 0.00022 = 0.00978 mols
Moles CaCO3 = 0.00978 x ½ = 0.00489
RESULT Therefore:
The study comparative analysis of % CaCO3 = Mols (CaCO3) x 100g
calcium carbonate (CaCO3) content in (CaCO3 x 00)
eggshell involve titration method of = 0.00489 x 100/1 x 100
analysis and 1g of each of four samples 0.50
were used in preparing the aliquot . = 97.8% CaCO3
= 0.978g/g
TABLE I: TITRIMETRIC
ANALYSIS OF LOCAL BREED HEN- TABLE II: TITRIMETRIC
EGGSHELL SOLUTION ANALYSIS OF POULTRY
Burette First Second Third CHICKEN EGGSHELL SOLUTION
Reading Burette First Second Third
Initial 0.00 2.20 0.00 Reading
Reading Initial 0.00 1.50 3.00
Final 2.20 4.40 2.20 Reading
Reading Final 1.50 3.00 4.50
Volume of 2.20 2.20 2.20 Reading
NaOH Volume 1.50 1.50 1.51
used of NaOH
used
Average volume of NaOH used =

2.20 + 2.20 + 2.20 = 2.20cm3 TABLE III: TITRIMETRIC

ANALYSIS OF GUINEA FOWL
3 SOLUTION
Burette First Second Third
REACTIONS Reading
CaCO3(s) + 2HCl(l) CaCl2(aq) + Initial 0.00 2.30 6.90
H2O(l) +CO2(g) Reading
Final 2.30 4.60 4.60
NaOH + HCl(aq) NaCl(aq) + Reading
H2O(l) Volume of 2.30 2.30 2.00
NaOH
Therefore: Initial moles HCl = VHCl used
MHCl = 0.01L x 1.00 Mols/L = 0.01 =
1.00 x 10-2

Moles of HCl left = VNaOHs MNaOH =

0.00222 x 0.100 Mol/L = 0.00022
Moles CaCO3 = moles HCl reacted x
(1mol CaCO3)

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TABLE IV: TITRIMETRIC and growing children need calcium, due
ANALYSIS OF DUCK EGGSHELL to the nature of our community as per
SOLUTION capital income of individual, cheaper
Burette First Second Third source of calcium need to be introduced
Reading (felicity, 1993). The Farmers need other
Initial 0.00 2.10 4.20 sources of calcium for their Livestock.
Reading Older woman are particular prone to
Final 2.10 4.20 6.30 calcium malnutrition, because when they
Reading stop menstruation, their bones may lose
Volume of 2.10 2.10 2.10 calcium and became thin and weak. This
NaOH is called osteoporoses physically active
used through out life help to prevent
osteoporosis.

CONCLUSION
TABLE V: SHOWING THE This research work on the comparative
ESTIMATE CALCIUM analysis of calcium carbonate (CaCO3)
CARBONATE CONTENT IN THE content in egg shells was carried out and
VARIOUS TEST SAMPLES the result were obtained. Based on the
(COMPARISON OF THE CaCO3 finding, it shows that Hen eggshell
CONTENT) contain 97.8%, poultry chicken eggshell
Samples Grams of % CaCO3 contain 96.9% CaCO3, Guinea fowl
eggshell sample eggshell contain 98.7% CaCO3 and
Local Hen 1 97.8 Duck eggshell contain 97.9% CaCO3
looking at the values or percentage of
Poultry Hen 1 96.6 the calcium carbonate, it was concluded
that guinea fowl eggshell has the highest
Guinea 1 98.7 percentage of the calcium carbonate and
this likely account for its hardness to
Duck 1 97.9 crack.

DISCUSSION
Calcium (Ca) a reactive, silvery white
metallic element found in group 2 (IIa)
of periodic table, calcium is one of
alkaline earth metal with atomic number
20. Its important in nutrition today
cannot be over emphasized. The
compound calcium are used especially in
many body fluids, it occur as complex
proteinous compounds essentially to
muscle constrain, the transmission of
nerves impulse and the clothing of blood
etc (“calcium”, 2007).Bones and teeth
are made mainly fro protein and
calcium, pregnant women breast feeding
RECOMMENDATIONS
Base on the findings of the study, the
following points were recommended.
 People should know that the
hardness of the shell is due to the
calcium carbonate, hence
alternative source of calcium for
agricultural use.
 Government should enlighten
the public that eggshell, snail
shell and crab shell are naturally
occurring forms of calcium
carbonate that can benefit to
health.

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  Other sources of calcium are
breast milk, cheese, bony fish,
beans, peas, millet, dark green
leaves and hard water. Individual
should select the cheapest source
to meet up with calcium
requirement of the body.
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Felicity Savage King and Ann Burges .

(1993) .Nutrition for Developing
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Herbert, Lu Beskmat. (1829)

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