Where is zinc found in the world
Zinc is also a necessary element for proper growth and development of humans, animals, and plants; it is the second most common trace metal, after iron, naturally found in the human body. Subscribe to receive an email notification when a publication is added to this page. Mineral Industry Surveys. Mineral Commodity Summaries. Skip to main content. Search Search.
National Minerals Information Center. As a pigment zinc is used in plastics, cosmetics, photocopier paper, wallpaper, printing inks etc, while in rubber production its role is to act as a catalyst during manufacture and as a heat disperser in the final product. Zinc metal is included in most single tablet, it is believed to possess anti-oxidant properties, which protect against premature aging of the skin and muscles of the body.
Zinc is a very common substance that occurs naturally. Many foodstuffs contain certain concentrations of zinc. Drinking water also contains certain amounts of zinc, which may be higher when it is stored in metal tanks. Industrial sources or toxic waste sites may cause the zinc amounts in drinking water to reach levels that can cause health problems. Zinc occurs naturally in air, water and soil, but zinc concentrations are rising unnaturally, due to addition of zinc through human activities.
Most zinc is added during industrial activities, such as mining, coal and waste combustion and steel processing. Some soils are heavily contaminated with zinc, and these are to be found in areas where zinc has to be mined or refined, or were sewage sludge from industrial areas has been used as fertilizer. Zinc is the 23rd most abundant element in the Earth's crust. The dominant ore is zinc blende, also known as sphalerite. Other important zinc ores are wurzite, smithsonite and hemimorphite.
World production exceeds 7 million tonnes a year and commercially exploitable reserves exceed million tonnes. Zinc is a trace element that is essential for human health. When people absorb too little zinc they can experience a loss of appetite, decreased sense of taste and smell, slow wound healing and skin sores. Zinc-shortages can even cause birth defects. Although humans can handle proportionally large concentrations of zinc, too much zinc can still cause eminent health problems, such as stomach cramps, skin irritations, vomiting, nausea and anaemia.
Very high levels of zinc can damage the pancreas and disturb the protein metabolism, and cause arteriosclerosis. Extensive exposure to zinc chloride can cause respiratory disorders. In the work place environment zinc contagion can lead to a flu-like condition known as metal fever. Credit: International Zinc Association India. Zinc is the fourth-most widely consumed metal in the world, behind iron, copper and aluminum. About three-fourths of zinc consumed is used as metal, mainly as coatings to protect iron and steel from corrosion galvanized metal , as an alloying component in brass and bronze, as zinc-based die casting alloys for countless decorative and mechanical products, and as rolled zinc for architectural applications.
The remaining one-fourth is consumed as zinc compounds mainly by the rubber, chemical, paint and agricultural industries. Since , the penny has been a copper-plated zinc sheet with a composition of Zinc is a necessary element for proper growth and development of humans, animals and plants; it is the second-most common trace metal, after iron, found in the human body.
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