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You are here: NPIC Home Page Pesticide Ingredients Active Ingredients Zinc Sulfate

Zinc sulfate is a naturally occurring pesticide and can be found in plants, soil, food, and water. It is a combination of sulfur and zinc. Zinc is an essential nutrient for humans, animals, and plants. Organisms need zinc for their normal function and adjust their internal environment to keep zinc levels steady. Too much zinc sulfate can damage the skin, affect the stomach and intestines, and irritate the respiratory tract. Freshwater fish and invertebrates are very sensitive to zinc. Zinc sulfate is an herbicide typically used for moss control.

General Questions about Zinc Sulfate

What is zinc sulfate? What are some products that contain zinc sulfate? How does zinc sulfate work? How might I be exposed to zinc sulfate What are some signs and symptoms from a brief exposure to zinc sulfate? What happens to zinc sulfate when it enter the body? Is zinc sulfate likely to contribute to the development of cancer? Has anyone studied non-cancer effects from long-term exposure to zinc sulfate? Are children more sensitive to zinc sulfate than adults? What happens to zinc sulfate in the environment? Can zinc sulfate affect birds, fish, and other wildlife?

General Fact Sheet	Will the goose eat the granules? What about the wildlife? Q & A
Would I hurt the fish by weeding and feeding the lawn? Q & A	Would I hurt the fish by weeding and feeding the lawn? Podcast (1:50 min., 3.36MB)

If you have questions about this, or any pesticide-related topic, please call NPIC at 1-800-858-7378 (8:00am - 12:00pm PST), or email at npic@ace.orst.edu.

Related Topics:

What are pests?

What are pesticides?

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NPIC provides objective, science-based information about pesticides and pesticide-related topics to enable people to make informed decisions. NPIC is a cooperative agreement between Oregon State University and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (cooperative agreement #X8-83947901). The information in this publication does not in any way replace or supersede the restrictions, precautions, directions, or other information on the pesticide label or any other regulatory requirements, nor does it necessarily reflect the position of the U.S. EPA.