A review of sargassum seaweeds' application in the development of eco-friendly building materials
- Emmanuel Asiedu, Peter Paa Kofi Yalley, Andrew Nii Nortey Dowuona
Sustainable Engineering Materials
Vol.1,No.2,2025 DOI:10.54113/j.suem.2025.000012 Online published:2025-12-17
Abstract
The recent influx of sargassum seaweeds is exerting adverse ecological and socioeconomic footprints on coastal communities in the Caribbean and West African countries. These recurring events have gained worldwide attention, paving the way for intense research and management efforts. Sargassum seaweeds possess several compounds and derivatives, which make them useful additions in the textile, food, pharmaceutical, biofuel, agriculture, chemicals, cosmetics, and medical sectors. Unfortunately, limited studies detail the application of these seaweeds in construction, where environmentally friendly materials with low embodied energy are currently desirable. This article focuses on the practical use and previous work of researchers on sargassum seaweed in construction, focusing on building materials. The study employed a rigorous approach to obtain relevant studies. It highlighted the various compositions and derivatives after sargassum biomass valorizing and their influence on the properties of building materials. Although this article will serve as a reference for practitioners and future research, it also reveals the resourcefulness of sargassum seaweeds in the development of sustainable materials for construction applications.
Keywords
Sargassum seaweed, building materials, alginate

