Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
Natl Toxicol Program Tech Rep Ser. 2019 Jan(592). doi: 10.22427/NTP-TR-592.
Zinc is a naturally occurring element and is ubiquitous in the environment. Zinc itself is stable in dry air, but exposure to moist air results in the formation of zinc oxide or basic carbonate. Due to the reactivity of zinc metal, it is not found as a free element in nature but as a variety of different compounds including zinc chloride, zinc oxide, and zinc sulfate. Zinc and zinc compounds are used across a wide range of industries that include rubber production, animal feed supplementation, as a fertilizer additive, in cosmetics and drugs, as a paint pigment, in dental cements, as a wood preservative, in batteries, in galvanizing and metal work, in textile production, in television screens and watches, and in smoke bombs. Of the zinc compounds, zinc oxide is the most widely used. Zinc was nominated by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) for carcinogenicity and genotoxicity testing based on the increasing size of the population exposed to zinc through dietary supplements and the lack of studies examining the carcinogenicity of zinc. There was an additional nomination to investigate the tumorigenicity of zinc deficiency by private individuals as a result of data showing that deficiency of some vitamins and minerals in humans can cause DNA damage. Zinc carbonate basic was selected as the source of dietary zinc due to its use as the source of supplemental zinc in rodent diets. Male and female Hsd:Sprague Dawley SD rats were exposed to dietary zinc in feed for 2 years. Genetic toxicology studies were conducted in rat peripheral blood erythrocytes, peripheral blood leukocytes, and colon epithelial cells. (Abstract Abridged).
锌是一种天然存在的元素，在环境中广泛存在。锌在干燥空气中本身是稳定的，但暴露于潮湿空气中会导致氧化锌或碱式碳酸锌的形成。由于锌金属的反应活性，它在自然界中不是以游离元素形式存在，而是以多种不同化合物的形式存在，包括氯化锌、氧化锌和硫酸锌。锌及其化合物广泛应用于橡胶生产、动物饲料补充、肥料添加剂、化妆品和药品、油漆颜料、牙科粘固剂、木材防腐剂、电池、镀锌和金属加工、纺织品生产、电视屏幕和手表以及烟雾弹等众多行业。在锌化合物中，氧化锌的应用最为广泛。基于通过膳食补充剂接触锌的人群规模不断扩大以及缺乏关于锌致癌性的研究，美国有毒物质和疾病登记署（ATSDR）提名对锌进行致癌性和遗传毒性测试。由于有数据表明人类某些维生素和矿物质缺乏会导致DNA损伤，一些个人额外提名对锌缺乏的致瘤性进行调查。碱式碳酸锌因其在啮齿动物饲料中用作补充锌的来源而被选为膳食锌的来源。雄性和雌性Hsd:Sprague Dawley SD大鼠在饲料中摄入膳食锌两年。在大鼠外周血红细胞、外周血白细胞和结肠上皮细胞中进行了遗传毒理学研究。（摘要节略）
