The market price of ground calcium carbonate is around $60–66 per tonne for coarse particles, which are used in construction, pigments, fillers and soil treatments. Ultrafine particles, which can be used to improve the properties of rubber and plastics, can reach an astonishing $14,000 per tonne. Even if the calcium carbonate from southeast Asian crustacean shells was processed into only the cheapest coarse particles, it could have an annual market value of up to $45 million.