Environment
ZINC
Zinc is vital for the proper functioning of more than 300 enzymes
FACTS
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Zinc is naturally present and essential in 100% of living organisms
ZINC'S SUSTAINABILITY PROPOSITION
Zinc is intimately tied to the natural world. It is one of the essential building blocks of what we call ‘The Environment’. Zinc has a role in the beauty of Mother Nature and fundamentally contributes to the biodiversity we see around us today. While essential, there is a balance that must be struck between too little and too much zinc. Both conditions can shift The Environment out of its comfort zone. Globally, environmental regulations are developed and implemented with the goal of ensuring that negative impacts to the environment do not occur due to zinc enrichment. IZA’s role is to develop the most robust and scientifically defensible tools that most accurately characterize The Environment’s comfort zone, so that the industry can safely and sustainably operate within acceptable boundaries.
Zinc is an essential mineral of “exceptional biologic and public health importance” and is considered a “Life Saving Commodity” by the United Nations.
Natural processes are the most important contributor of zinc to the environment.
IZA provides expert services with the goal of balancing appropriate levels of environmental protection with society’s use of zinc.
IZA seeks to provide consistent and harmonized interpretation of the best available science as it applies to understanding zinc’s potential beneficial and adverse impacts to humans and the environment.
IZA serves as a trusted resource for members and regulatory authorities.
Zinc is Natural
Zinc is the 24th most abundant element in the Earth’s crust and has been present since the formation of earth. All life on earth is developed in the presence of zinc. Through natural erosion processes, a small part of the zinc in soil, rock and sediment is constantly moved and transported through the environment.
Zinc is Essential
Zinc is essential to life, playing an important role in biological processes of all living organisms crucial for cell division, protein synthesis, the immune system and growth. Zinc is an essential mineral of “exceptional biologic and public health importance” considered a “Life Saving Commodity” by the United Nations.
Compliance
Zinc bioavailability depends on complex interactions with the environment. To understand these interactions, the zinc industry supports research to develop tools that help scientists predict zinc bioavailability in different environmental conditions and matrices.
COMPLIANCE
IZA’s Environment, Health and Sustainability activities provide a platform for the zinc industry to participate in discussions with the regulatory community regarding environmental regulations. One such example is IZA's Role in managing the Zinc REACH Consortium. REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals) is the most complex chemicals legislation ever introduced in the European Union and one of the few ‘rolling regulations’ with a legal requirement to provide regular updates.
COLLABORATIONS
