Zinc (Zn)

Details

• Personal Author:
  Leslie, Scott ; Martin C
• Description:
  Zinc (Zn) has many applications, including galvanization (anticorrosion coating), alloys (brass, bronze, and die-casting), electroplating, batteries, fuses, roofing shingles, gutters, engraver's plates, cable wrapping, pesticides, and pigments. Wire buffing of zinc-coated surfaces generates zinc dust. Zinc oxide (ZnO) fumes are the most frequent zinc-related occupational exposure. Zinc oxide fumes are generated through torch welding or cutting of zinc-containing materials. Zinc fumes may cause asthma, meningitis, pericarditis, pleuritis, and pneumonitis. Zinc chloride (ZnCl) inhalation may cause cough, dyspnea, sore throat, chest pain, headache, chemical pharyngitis, asthma, acute tubular necrosis, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Zinc chloride ingestion can cause gastrointestinal tract inflammation and gastric stricture. Skin can become dry and irritated when exposed to excess zinc. Lip burns, angioedema, urticaria, and pruritus have been reported. Metal fume fever (MMF) is a systemic response to zinc fumes or, less readily, zinc dust. After zinc exposure, symptoms begin in 4 to 6 hours and resolve in 24 to 48 hours. Problems include fatigue, malaise, headache, fever, chills, shaking, throat dryness and irritation, cough, rhinnorhea, dyspnea, nausea, vomiting, anterior chest pain, substernal pain and tightness, joint stiffness, muscle cramps, diaphoresis, tachycardia, coarse breath sounds, wheezes, rales, polymorphonuclear leukocytosis, and decreased forced vital capacity (FVC). Chest x-rays are typically normal or unchanged, although they have revealed increased prominence of bronchovascular markings following zinc oxide exposure. Tachyphylaxis is a characteristic of MFF. Because zinc is an essential element, each homeostatic mechanism regulates circulating zinc differently to maintain physiological levels. With increased zinc intake, more zinc is released by muscle, more zinc is excreted in the urine, plasma zinc increases, liver zinc increases, less zinc is absorbed from the gut, less zinc is taken up by red blood cells, and zinc secretion into the gut decreases. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Cardiovascular Diseases Cardiovascular System Dust Metals Nervous System Nervous System Diseases Occupational Health Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety Welding Zinc Compounds

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• Keywords:
  Cardiovascular-system-disorders Dusts Metal-fume-fever Metal-fumes Neuromuscular-system-disorders Oxides Respiratory-system-disorders Zinc-compounds
• ISBN:
  9781883595555
• Publisher:
  OEM Press
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Book
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  234-240
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20047388
• Citation:
  Clinical practice of biological monitoring. Hoffman HE, Phillips S, Palmer RB, eds. Beverly Farms, MA: OEM Press, 2012 Dec; :234-240
• CAS Registry Number:
  Zinc (CAS RN 7440-66-6) ; Zinc chloride (CAS RN 7646-85-7) ; Zinc oxide (ZnO) (CAS RN 1314-13-2)
• Editor(s):
  Hoffman HE; Phillips S; Palmer RB
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2013
• Performing Organization:
  West Virginia University
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Clinical practice of biological monitoring
• End Date:
  20250630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:ae219d2b1f06df05cb1b3b181835299d5ed7d03df13d444955b4f0d41ee0e20dfcf046e34c0a12f3030c223bcb3f338c543d1aa03cb2c47640b5379f330644ce
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/202465/cdc_202465_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 116.56 KB ]