The Role of Zinc in My Life
Divya Nagendran
Professor Patrick Crawford
CHEM 122-04
27 January
The Role of Zinc in My Life
Chemistry plays a vital role in our daily life. We find chemistry in every object we see or touch. We could find chemistry in the food we eat, the air we breathe, our acne treatment cream and the list goes on. There is one chemistry element that is important in my daily life and its Zinc or Zn 2+. During my high school year, I’ve had problems with hair loss. Each day I would lose 100 to 125 strands of hair. It seemed like a never-ending battle, waking up each morning to brush and comb my hair only to watch it fall out. At last I made an appointment with my doctor. My doctor made me to take a blood test. I got my blood test results back and it revealed a low reading in Zinc. My doctor prescribed me to take Zinc supplement. After taking Zinc supplement for couple of months, my hair fall have decreased. Up to this day I am continuing taking my zinc supplement. Now I lose 5 to 10 strands of hair a day and my hair is healthy. I feel extremely confident with my appearance and thanks to Zinc supplement.
While taking my Zinc supplement, I have always wondered that when was Zinc discovered and where did it come from. After a couple of researches, I find out that Zinc was discovered in Germany in 1746 by Andreas Marggraf. Zinc is found in earth’s crust. The average natural level of zinc in the earth’s crust is 70 mg/kg (dry weight), ranging between 10 and 300 mg/kg.1 Zinc can also be founded in Zinc ores deposits. Zinc ores was discovered as early as 1400 to 1000 B.C. in Palestine. Zinc ores contain 5-15% of Zinc. 2 By froth flotation, Zinc gets separated from the Zinc ores. Froth flotation of Zinc ores are performed inside a vat with an impeller. Inside the vat, the zinc ores are grinded to a fine powder. The next process is mixing the zinc ores powder with water, pine oil and flotation chemicals. By mixing the mixture, it helps the zinc to float on the surface.
Professor Patrick Crawford
CHEM 122-04
27 January
The Role of Zinc in My Life
Chemistry plays a vital role in our daily life. We find chemistry in every object we see or touch. We could find chemistry in the food we eat, the air we breathe, our acne treatment cream and the list goes on. There is one chemistry element that is important in my daily life and its Zinc or Zn 2+. During my high school year, I’ve had problems with hair loss. Each day I would lose 100 to 125 strands of hair. It seemed like a never-ending battle, waking up each morning to brush and comb my hair only to watch it fall out. At last I made an appointment with my doctor. My doctor made me to take a blood test. I got my blood test results back and it revealed a low reading in Zinc. My doctor prescribed me to take Zinc supplement. After taking Zinc supplement for couple of months, my hair fall have decreased. Up to this day I am continuing taking my zinc supplement. Now I lose 5 to 10 strands of hair a day and my hair is healthy. I feel extremely confident with my appearance and thanks to Zinc supplement.
While taking my Zinc supplement, I have always wondered that when was Zinc discovered and where did it come from. After a couple of researches, I find out that Zinc was discovered in Germany in 1746 by Andreas Marggraf. Zinc is found in earth’s crust. The average natural level of zinc in the earth’s crust is 70 mg/kg (dry weight), ranging between 10 and 300 mg/kg.1 Zinc can also be founded in Zinc ores deposits. Zinc ores was discovered as early as 1400 to 1000 B.C. in Palestine. Zinc ores contain 5-15% of Zinc. 2 By froth flotation, Zinc gets separated from the Zinc ores. Froth flotation of Zinc ores are performed inside a vat with an impeller. Inside the vat, the zinc ores are grinded to a fine powder. The next process is mixing the zinc ores powder with water, pine oil and flotation chemicals. By mixing the mixture, it helps the zinc to float on the surface.
References: 1. International Zinc Association. Zinc – Natural Occurrence Page. http://www.zinc.org/bas ics/zinc_natural_occurrence (accessed Jan 25, 2012). 2. International Zinc Association. Zinc Production – From Ore to Metal Page. http://www. zinc.org/basics/zinc_production (accessed Jan 24, 2012). 3. Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Zinc Page. http://ods.od .nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/#h7 (Jan 25, 2012). 4. Fitday Beta. Which Type of Zinc Supplement Should You Use? http://www.fitday.com/f itness-articles/nutrition/vitamins-minerals/which-type-of-zinc-supplement-should- you-use.html (accessed Jan 25, 2012).