Zinc toxicity
Zinc toxicity arises from excessive intake or exposure.
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Zinc toxicity is a medical condition resulting from excessive exposure to or ingestion of zinc. It is notable because zinc is an essential trace metal with very low toxicity in humans, yet high doses can cause adverse effects. The free zinc ion in solution is highly toxic to bacteria, plants, invertebrates, and vertebrate fish.
Quick Facts
- Overdose threshold
- greater than 50 mg of zinc
- Low intake overdose
- 300 mg Zn/d
- Usda rda
- 15 mg Zn/d
- Long-term intake causing effects
- 100 mg Zn/d
- Therapeutic dose used
- 150 mg/day for months or years
- Maximum therapeutic dose reported
- 2000 mg/day for months
Facts from the source article.
Signs and symptoms
Oral intake of extremely high doses of zinc, such as 300 mg Zn/d, can cause nausea, vomiting, pain, cramps, and diarrhea. Long-term intakes of 100 mg Zn/d may induce copper deficiency, alterations of blood lipoprotein levels, increased LDL, and decreased HDL. Inhalation of freshly formed zinc oxide during welding of galvanized materials can cause zinc shakes, zinc chills, or metal fume fever.
In humans
Zinc has been used therapeutically at 150 mg/day for months or years, and in one case up to 2000 mg/day for months, with reported decreases in copper levels and hematological changes that reversed upon cessation. Safety of usage at about 100 mg/day is relevant due to popular use of zinc gluconate or acetate lozenges for the common cold. Unlike iron, elimination of zinc is concentration-dependent.
Diagnosis
Zinc concentrations are quantified using instrumental methods such as atomic absorption, emission, or mass spectroscopies; X-ray fluorescence; electro-analytical techniques; or neutron activation analysis. Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy is used for blood, tissue, and urine samples. Detection limits in blood and tissue are 1 μg/100 g and 0.2 μg/g, and in urine 0.1 μg/sample, with sample preparation involving acid digestion.
More in Toxic Effects of Metals
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Zinc toxicity (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Word definitions: the , each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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