People living near smelters or industries using zinc could be exposed to higher levels of zinc by drinking water, breathing air, and contacting soil contaminated with the metal. Exposure to high levels of zinc over long periods of time may cause adverse health effects. Zinc can enter the body if you eat foods or drink water or other beverages containing zinc, or breathe zinc dust or fumes from the air. Very small amounts of zinc enter the body through skin contact. Children also can be exposed to zinc by playing in contaminated soils.
Foods naturally contain zinc but vary greatly in their zinc content.
Very small amounts of the zinc in food are absorbed by the body. Drinking beverages stored in metal cans or drinking water that flows through metal pipes coated with zinc are also sources of zinc exposure. A short-term illness called metal fume fever can result if workers breathe very high levels of zinc dust or fumes. This condition, which usually lasts from 24 to 48 hours, causes chills, fever, excessive sweating, and weakness. Long-term effects of breathing zinc dust or fumes are not known.