Researchers have discovered a new form of concrete that could transform one of the world's most environmentally damaging materials.

As New Atlas reported, a University of Pennsylvania team created the new material that incorporates diatomaceous earth, a natural substance made of tiny, fossilized algae that gets ground into a powder. The resulting "bioconcrete" is lightweight and structurally sound, researchers wrote in a study published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.

Best of all, though, is that diatomaceous earth is relatively porous, which helps this bioconcrete absorb 142% more carbon dioxide than its traditional counterpart.

"We ran a lot of trials," study co-author Shu Yang told Penn Today. "What surprised us most was that despite the high porosity that normally acts an impediment to stress, the material actually got stronger as it absorbed CO2."

Because of its prevalence in construction and engineering projects, concrete is the world's second most-consumed product, behind only water. And, as a Princeton study makes clear, it's also one of the most damaging to our planet.

Cement, the primary ingredient in concrete, is made by combining materials like limestone and clay in a kiln. The energy used to power that kiln, and the chemical reaction created by heating those materials, both release carbon into the environment. In fact, for every pound of concrete that is made, nearly a pound of carbon is released into our atmosphere.

With all the concrete used each year, the material accounts for a whopping 8% of global pollution — the exact pollution that causes our planet to get progressively warmer.

That's what makes this new UPenn finding so potentially transformative.

To create the bioconcrete, researchers created a "cementitious" paste that could work within a 3D printer. It was then printed into a block with a lattice-type design, inspired by how bones and shells are formed, giving it structural integrity and the space to capture carbon.

After some finishing touches, the researchers were shocked by their findings.

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Their new bioconcrete had five times the surface-area-to-volume-ratio as standard concrete, while using 68% less material. And as it absorbed more carbon, the material got even stronger.

"The moment we stopped thinking about concrete as static and started seeing it as dynamic — as something that reacts to its environment — we opened up a whole new world of possibilities," Yang said.

Diatomaceous earth is commonly used in gardening as a natural pesticide that's safe for plants, children, and animals.

Because of its abundance, UPenn researchers believe they could scale their bioconcrete in a way that would still make it cost-effective for large-scale construction. But first, they want to test their material to create floods and load-bearing panels.

"We want to push this idea further," Yang told New Atlas.

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