The Chronicles Of Grant County

Zinc Street
Lordsburg
Zinc ore found at the Sterling Hill Mine in New Jersey. (The photograph was produced by Craig Johnson and provided courtesy of the United States Geological Survey.)

Zinc Street in Lordsburg is named after the element Zinc.

According to a statement from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), "Zinc is the 23rd most abundant element in the earth's crust. Sphalerite, Zinc sulfide, is and has been the principal ore mineral in the world. Zinc is necessary to modern living, and, in tonnage produced, stands fourth among all metals in world production – being exceeded only by iron, aluminum, and copper."

Mines in Southwest New Mexico have produced quantities of Zinc.

"Zinc uses range from metal products to rubber and medicines," the USGS statement continued. "About three-fourths of Zinc used is consumed as metal, mainly as a coating to protect iron and steel from corrosion (galvanized metal), as alloying metal to make bronze and brass, as Zinc-based die casting alloy, and as rolled Zinc. The remaining one-fourth is consumed as Zinc compounds mainly by the rubber, chemical, paint, and agricultural industries."

The USGS indicated that "Zinc is also a necessary element for proper growth and development of humans, animals, and plants; it is the second most common trace metal, after iron, naturally found in the human body."

This mineral is considered essential for human health.

"Zinc is an important trace element that people need to stay healthy," according to a statement from MedlinePlus, a service of the National Library of Medicine of the National Institutes of Health. "Zinc is found in cells throughout the body. It is needed for the body's defensive (immune) system to properly work. It plays a role in cell division, cell growth, wound healing, and the breakdown of carbohydrates."

"Zinc is also needed for the senses of smell and taste," the statement from MedlinePlus continued. "During pregnancy, infancy, and childhood the body needs Zinc to grow and develop properly. Zinc also enhances the action of insulin."

Among sources of Zinc, according to the statement from MedlinePlus, are "beef, pork, and lamb; [they] contain more Zinc than fish. The dark meat of a chicken has more Zinc than the light meat. Other good sources of Zinc are nuts, whole grains, legumes, and yeast."

"Fruits and vegetables are not good sources, because the Zinc in plant foods is not as available for use by the body as the Zinc from animal sources," the statement from MedlinePlus continued. "Therefore, low-protein diets and vegetarian diets tend to be low in Zinc."

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