What type of substance is it?
The metal zinc is a naturally occurring chemical element. It is a bluish-white, soft shiny metal. Although zinc is an essential element for humans, it can also be toxic at high exposure levels.
How is it released?
Most zinc is released from industries such as iron and steel production and non-ferrous metal production. Another significant source is road transport due to vehicle tyre wear, as zinc is used in rubber manufacture. As zinc is a naturally occurring element, its is found in rocks, soil, sediment and natural waters.
Detailed information
Scientific name:
Zinc, Zn
Other names:
Blue-powder, granular zinc, jasad, merrillite, zinc dust, zinc powder
CAS Number:
7440-66-6
The principal ores of zinc from which it is extracted include sphalerite, smithsonite, calamine and franklinite. Common zinc compounds include zinc chloride, zinc oxide, zinc sulphate and zinc sulphide. Zinc is too reactive to occur as the free metal in nature.
Zinc has many commercial uses such as being used as coatings to prevent rust, in dry-cell batteries and importantly, in many alloys, such as brass and bronze. Large quantities are also used in the production of die castings. Compounds of zinc are used in industry in the manufacture of paints, plastics, rubber, dyes, wood preservatives, and cosmetics.
Pure zinc is a bluish-white shiny metal. It is brittle at ordinary temperatures and is a fairly good conductor of electricity. It melts at 420 degrees Celsius.
Where is it released?
Most of the zinc released into the UK environment comes from man-made emissions due to iron and steel production, non-ferrous metal production, road transport and to a lesser extent, industrial coal burning and waste incineration. Zinc from road transport is almost entirely due to tyre wear. There have been significantly lower emissions in recent years due to decline in coal combustion, more effective industrial abatement and control of incineration emissions. As zinc is a naturally occurring element, it is also found in the rocks, soil, sediment and natural waters.
Local environmental effects
Zinc can have a significant local impact. In parts of the world where there are large deposits, zinc can get into the water supply at levels which are toxic to fish and potentially to humans. Zinc can accumulate in aquatic organisms but not in plants, and be toxic to such species and those that feed off them. High environmental exposures that can cause concern over possible harmful effects are rare in the UK. Higher-than-normal levels may be found in air and water near industries using zinc but are generally unlikely to cause significant local impacts.
Global environmental effects
No significant global impacts are considered likely.
Possible health concerns
Excessive exposure to zinc compounds may affect the blood, digestive system, eye, kidney, lung, pancreas, reproductive system, skin and the unborn child. The Environment Agency aims to ensure that environmental exposures are too low to harm human health.
Legislation
Why was this substance selected for the Pollution Inventory?
For air releases included in : European Pollutant Emission Register (EPER) reporting requirements; Heavy metals of Agency concern & included under Annex 1 of the European Union IPPC Directive . For water releases included in : European Pollutant Emission Register (EPER) reporting requirements.
Standard risk phrases for the pure substance
The standard risk phrases provided here are generally those used by suppliers of chemicals to describe substances - for example on packaging materials. The most important source of these phrases are the CHIP Regulations - Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) - provided by the Health and Safety Executive. Some substances do not have CHIP risk phrases and in these circumstances we have used other risk phrases, the sources of which are indicated.
Because this is a large family of chemicals rather than a single substance, it is not possible to provide risk phrases, which are generally provided for a single substance whose properties can be precisely determined.
Controlling legislation and international agreements
Release of zinc is controlled under the UK Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) Regulations 2000, which implement the EC Directive 96/61on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control. In terms of European law, the release of zinc is covered by EC regulation 793/93 'Evaluation and control of risks of existing substances' - zinc comes under the second list of priority substances (EC regulation 2268/95) and under the Hazardous Waste Directive. Zinc is also covered by EC Directive 76/464 'Pollution of the aquatic environment by dangerous substances (plus daughter directives)'. At an international level, the release of zinc is covered by the OSPAR Convention for the protection of the marine environment of the North East Atlantic and the Basel Convention on the Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal. It is listed as a candidate substance for selection, assessment and prioritisation under the Helsinki Convention.
These factsheets have been compiled to provide users with information on the Pollution Inventory substances and represent our best efforts to summarise a large number of disparate and sometimes conflicting data sources. We emphasise that this information describes potential hazards rather than actual effects and that the Environment Agency seeks to regulate releases to minimise emissions and hence any risk of detrimental effects occurring.
