[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 83 (Monday, June 27, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 27, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                        TRIBUTE TO LAUREL MUTTI

                                 ______


                            HON. BUD SHUSTER

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 27, 1994

  Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Laurel Mutti 
of Alexandria, PA on being selected by the U.S. Bureau of Mines and the 
American Zinc Association as the winner of the National Student Zinc 
Essay Contest for grades 7 to 9.
  Laurel has written an extraordinary essay, especially when one 
considers that she is only in the 9th grade. Her work shows insights 
into her subject matter and solid command of the English language. I 
would ask that all of my colleagues join me in offering a warm 
congratulations to Laurel for her excellent work.
  Mr. Speaker, at this time I would also ask that Laurel's essay be 
reprinted in the Congressional Record so that all of my colleagues will 
have access to her fine work.

                                  Zinc

             (By Laurel Mutti, Grade Nine, Alexandria, PA)

       A few months ago, I knew practically nothing about zinc. I 
     knew of its existence and had a vague awareness that it was 
     useful industrially, but I had no idea of the many ways in 
     which I depended on it every day. And my ignorance is not 
     surprising, either. Zinc is not very obvious if you don't 
     know how and where to look for it. Some zinc is on things, 
     covering steel with a protective coating, but most of us do 
     not recognize galvanized steel. And a lot of zinc is in 
     things, such as die cast parts inside a car. Still more zinc 
     is part of compounds or alloys. Such as brass, which we 
     usually think of as distinct substances. Often zinc is not in 
     things at all but important in making them. Much zinc is 
     hidden from our view, and that which isn't is not usually 
     notable by itself. But zinc is important. It shouldn't be 
     taken for granted.
       Once I learned something about zinc, though, I started to 
     see it everywhere. It's kind of like when you find a new word 
     and all of a sudden you start seeing it in everything you 
     read. But that's partly an illusion. Zinc really is 
     everywhere. for example, here's what I did last weekend.
       On Saturday, I went with my family to a ``sugar bush'' to 
     do maple sugaring. We drove there in our pickup truck; 
     Automobiles contain lots of zinc. The underside and chassis 
     where the truck isn't painted are often galvanized. Many of 
     the engine parts are die-cast from zinc. And the rubber which 
     makes up parts as diverse as tires, hoses, and windshield 
     gasketing is treated with zinc oxide.
       Maple sugaring is a very old process; the Indians did it 
     long before colonists even arrived in America. Modern 
     sugaring, though, uses new equipment. The Indians collected 
     their sap in wooden troughs, but today we use galvanized 
     steel buckets. This particular Saturday we were actually 
     closing up the sugar bush for the season. We were going to 
     collect, clean, and put away the buckets.
       We took the sugar bush tractor down the sap road to collect 
     the buckets. Like the truck, the tractor also had die-cast 
     zinc parts, galvanized parts, and rubber tires. The 
     collecting wagon had rubber tires, too, and we were wearing 
     rubber boots to keep our feet dry. My sister was also wearing 
     jeans, which had a brass zipper and brass rivets. Brass is an 
     alloy containing zinc.
       The buckets hang on the maple trees throughout the sugaring 
     season, which can be as long as six weeks. They are usually 
     rained on and snowed on many times, and as well as being wet 
     on the outside, they are wet on the inside from holding the 
     sap. If they were not galvanized, they would rust through in 
     a few seasons. Obviously they would leak sap, but they would 
     also be very expensive to replace. This season, about three 
     hundred buckets were used.
       When we had collected the buckets we had to wash them and 
     stack them inside the sugar shack. The first step to this 
     process involved scrubbing them. There was a spinning brush 
     hooked up to an electrical motor that made this easier. The 
     motor had a rubber drive band to turn the brush. The next job 
     was rinsing the buckets with a hose. The hose was connected 
     to the plumbing at the house, which had galvanized steel 
     pipes to carry the water. Then the buckets could be stacked 
     inside the sugar shed where they would be protected by a 
     galvanized steel roof.
       Then we took a break for lunch. We had whole wheat toasted 
     cheese sandwiches. Cheese and whole grains are both good 
     dietary sources of zinc.
       When we resumed work we scrubbed out the holding tank where 
     the sap is stored until it is boiled inside the sugar shack 
     to make syrup. This too was galvanized steel.
       We drove home again in the truck. On the way we stopped to 
     buy chicken for supper, another good dietary source of zinc. 
     We got some pennies back with our change. ``Copper'' pennies 
     are really zinc covered with copper.
       In the evening, after our meal of chicken, my grandfather 
     called from Maine about visiting us next month. The 
     telephones we used had die-cast zinc parts.
       On Sunday morning I had a shower. The water for my shower 
     came through galvanized steel pipes, and the showerhead was 
     made of brass. The electricity which heated the water came 
     over electrical lines on huge galvanized steel transmission 
     towers. The soap and shampoo I used probably contained zinc; 
     many do because zinc is effective at fighting bacteria.
       On Sunday afternoon, we drove to a friend's house. He, my 
     father, and I am part of a contra dance band, and we practice 
     every Sunday afternoon. One of the instruments my father 
     plays is an auto harp, and it has brass wound strings. The 
     accordion I play has brass reeds. We all used photocopied 
     sheet music. Photocopying machines use zinc oxide.
       When we got home, we walked down to the bridge to look at 
     the river, which was flooded. The snow had melted away from 
     the galvanized guardrails at the edge of the road, and early 
     spring plants were beginning to come up, drawing from extra 
     zinc reserves in their roots and seeds.
       On Sunday evenings, our family has a tradition of eating 
     popcorn. We often also have apple slices with peanut butter. 
     Both popcorn and peanut butter are good dietary sources of 
     zinc, which tends to be concentrated in nuts and seeds.
       Zinc is truly everywhere around us. Even the computer I am 
     using to type this essay contains die-cast zinc parts. It is 
     one of the most useful and versatile substances we have.
       Historically, zinc's first use was in brass, first 
     developed by the Romans around B.C. 200. Even after iron came 
     into use, brass was the metal of choice for durable tools and 
     weapons. It took part in the immense conquest and expansion 
     of the Roman empire, which spread throughout Europe, Egypt, 
     and the Middle East. The Romans did not however produce zinc 
     as a free metal. This was first done in India and China about 
     A.D. 1000. In the 1730's Europeans learned how to produce 
     zinc from ore by distillation, which they had previously 
     imported to meet the limited needs of their industry. The 
     U.S. government built this country's first zinc furnace in 
     1834 at the Arsenal in Washington, D.C. for the production of 
     brass (Wolfe, 1984, p. 1886).
       Zinc today has many industrial uses. Its main use is in 
     galvanized steel. The zinc coating on the steel keeps it from 
     rusting and thus prolongs its usefulness. Its next major use 
     is in die casting, the making of precision parts, such as 
     those in automobiles, in a mold. Its third major use is in 
     the alloy brass (Wolfe, 1984, p. 187). Zinc oxide is used in 
     the rubber industry, photocopying, chemicals, ceramics, 
     agriculture and paints. Its white color makes it a useful 
     pigment in paints and cosmetics. Another zinc compound, zinc 
     sulfate, is used in agriculture, rayon, flotation reagents, 
     and chemicals (Minerals Yearbook, 1974, p. 1371).
       Galvanizing is the largest use of zinc. Galvanized steel 
     has a layer of zinc on it. The zinc covers the steel and 
     prevents it from oxidizing (rusting) and corroding. Any steel 
     tool or structure designed to be used outside, from garbage 
     cans to suspension bridges, must be covered by some substance 
     or it will soon rust out. While paint is often used, zinc 
     remains the best metal for galvanizing, and the best steel 
     protector in general. Galvanized steel is everywhere: from 
     construction equipment, to water pipes, to signposts, to 
     garage roofs. Steel is one of the best building and tool-
     making substances mankind has, but it is dependent on the 
     protection of zinc. Much of what we depend on steel for, we 
     also depend on zinc for.
       We are also dependent on many machines requiring precision 
     parts. Our automobiles are a major example of this, but zinc 
     components are also used in telephones, computers, tape 
     recorders and many household appliances. It even shows up in 
     many toys. These parts are die-cast, or made by pouring 
     molten metal into a mold. Zinc is usually the metal used.
       Brass, too, contains zinc. This alloy of zinc and copper 
     has many uses of its own, including hardware, electrical and 
     plumbing components, metal decorations, musical instruments, 
     and inexpensive jewelry. There is another zinc alloy called 
     galfan (90% zinc, 5% aluminum, and rare earths) which 
     outperforms galvanized steel, but is also more expensive 
     (Kesler, 1994, p. 219).
       Zinc production and demand has increased. Presently nearly 
     half of all zinc is used in galvanizing. The use of 
     galvanized steel in automobiles has quadrupled since 1980 
     (Kesler, 1994, p. 219). Another substantial share of zinc, 
     32% in 1984, is used in die-casting. That share has decreased 
     in the years since as automobile manufacturers have sought 
     lighter-weight components, such as those made of plastic 
     (Wolfe, 1984, p. 187). So while zinc has lost some use in 
     die-casting for automobiles, it has recovered by increased 
     needs for galvanizing.
       Where does zinc's future lie? Its usefulness in die casting 
     and rust protection have tied it particularly to the 
     automobile industry. Zinc holds continued promise to this 
     industry as a component of nickel-zinc batteries, which may 
     be used to power the electric ``cars of the future''. It 
     still remains the best metal for galvanizing steel. Zinc is 
     also such an inexpensive metal to produce that substituting 
     other metals for it with a higher price per pound is only 
     feasible when they have superior qualities, (Wolfe, 1984, p. 
     189). Given current heavy demand for zinc, another useful 
     characteristic of this metal is that it can be recycled. More 
     than one-third of the zinc we use is produced from recycled 
     materials (``Zinc: Essentially Everywhere'')
       While we depend greatly on zinc for its usefulness in our 
     industry, it also is so invaluable to our bodies that we 
     depend on it for our very survival. Although zinc is used by 
     the body in very small amounts it is nevertheless essential. 
     Like other trace elements, its function is not that of making 
     up the molecules of protoplasm, which ``bulk'' elements such 
     as carbon and hydrogen do. Rather, zinc is part of many 
     enzymes, as well as the nucleic acids, those string like 
     macromolecules which contain all the information that allows 
     cells to multiply, repair themselves, and obtain nutrients.
       Zinc has some special chemical properties that make it so 
     valuable to the cell. In cells, zinc takes the form of an ion 
     (electronically charged particle) with a positive charge of 
     +2. In fact, most of the major trace elements essential to 
     the body are +2 ions, so zinc is in the right group. Ions 
     with a charge of +1 don't have enough charge to serve as 
     catalysts for most reactions, and +3 ions tend to become 
     surrounded by negatively-charged ions and are unable to 
     ``escape'' to participate in reactions. Most of the enzymes 
     in living organisms require +2 ions. Among the +2 ions, zinc 
     is the only one which can fit into certain geometric shapes 
     in the structures of some groups of enzymes. Zinc is also 
     useful as a ``control'' ion; it binds onto other ions and 
     keeps them from reacting until they are needed (da Silva and 
     Williams, 1991, 300-311).
       Carbonic anhydrase is an example of an essential enzyme 
     with zinc as its active component. It catalyzes the splitting 
     of carbonic acid into water and carbon dioxide and vice 
     versa. In animals, this enzyme is responsible for the rapid 
     removal of carbon dioxide from the blood, and without it, the 
     entire respiratory process would be slowed by the 
     accumulation of wastes, or would require a much larger lung 
     surface to achieve the same results. In plants, this same 
     zinc-based enzyme functions to convert carbon dioxide to 
     carbonic acid so that carbon dioxide, which is present in the 
     air at very low concentrations can be absorbed more readily. 
     Carbon dioxide is, of course, used in photosynthesis, the 
     process by which plants build their food. Since all animals 
     and other organisms are dependent on plant-made food or those 
     who consume it, zinc affect the entire food chain (Shutte, 
     1964, p. 25).
       As well as its key role in enzymes, zinc is a component of 
     DNA and RNA. These molecules inside the nuclei of cells are 
     the carriers of heredity. They contain all the information 
     cells need for building proteins and enzymes and the 
     structures the cells need to survive. Different parts of the 
     molecules code for different things, and not all of the genes 
     are actively coding in this manner at any given time. The 
     ``switches'' which are responsible for turning genes off and 
     on and hence regulating the timing and production of 
     different substances contain zinc as their key component (da 
     Silva and Williams, 1991, p. 306).
       Zinc also has many roles in body tissues. It is crucial to 
     the immune system. It detoxifies alcohol in the liver. It is 
     used in the oil glands of skin, and the taste buds in the 
     mouth. Its role in the nucleic acids gives it a profound 
     effect on the healing of wounds, the prevention of cancer, 
     and the general health of the body. Zinc fights bacteria, an 
     individual function inside our bodies which is also taken 
     advantage of for external healing ointments. It is also 
     crucial to reproduction. The seeds of plants contain high 
     levels of zinc, and so do animal reproductive tissues (Somer, 
     1992, p. 116).
       Many of our food dietary sources of zinc are ``seed 
     foods'', such as nuts and wheat germ. Whole grains are also 
     good sources, but they must be leavened in bread. Similarly, 
     milk products are a good zinc source. Oysters, seafood and 
     lean meats are also high in zinc. The recommended daily 
     allowance for zinc is 15 milligrams (Somer, 1992, p. 117-
     118). Many of our favorite foods, such as citrus and pecans, 
     while not major zinc sources for us, depend on large amounts 
     of zinc in the soil for proper growth. Zinc's role in 
     photosynthesis, of course, ties it to all our food. Life as 
     we know it could not exist without this essential element.
       Zinc touches our lives in so many diverse and unique ways. 
     From diving suits to soap to erasers to automobiles, from 
     computers and trumpets to the lines which carry our water and 
     electricity, zinc is all around us. And inside us, zinc is 
     helping carry out the body processes we need to survive. Zinc 
     is truly essential, and essentially everywhere. I suspect 
     there may even be traces of zinc in maple syrup. Yum!

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