Zinc Reduction Research Articles

Continuous-flow analysis of nitrogen compounds in environmental water using a copper–zinc reduction coil

The copper–cadmium reduction method has been applied to determine nitrogen compounds in heavily contaminated environmental water. However, there is an international demand to reduce the use of cadmium because it is harmful to humans and environment. Hence, a copper–zinc reduction continuous flow analysis system without using cadmium was developed for nitrogen‐compound determination. However, the effects of seawater contaminants on this analytical method remains unknown. Therefore, in this study, the effects of contaminants on the developed method are investigated, and the applicability of the method to environmental water analysis is examined. Resultantly, interference due to magnesium precipitation is confirmed; however, this could be prevented by adjusting the concentration of the analytical reagent, i.e,. ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium. The measurement of certified reference materials under the new conditions, with precipitation countermeasures, show good results, with an accuracy of over 96%. Additionally, a recovery study using actual environmental water afforded good results, with recovery of >95% for all samples. These results indicate that the proposed method is an excellent, cadmium-free analytical method capable of analyzing environmental water as effectively as conventional methods.

Reduction with zinc — Impact on the determination of nitrite and nitrate ions using microfluidic paper-based analytical devices

We used a microfluidic paper-based analytical device (μPAD) to investigate the influence that zinc reduction exerts on the determination of nitrite and nitrate ions in natural water samples. The μPAD consists of layered channels for the reduction of nitrate to nitrite with zinc powder and the subsequent detection of nitrite with Griess reagent. The amount of zinc, number of layers, and reaction time for the reduction were optimized to obtain an intense signal for nitrate. Initially, the sensitivity to nitrate corresponded to 55% that of nitrite, which implied an incomplete reduction. We found, however, that zinc decreased the sensitivity to nitrite in both the μPAD and spectrophotometry. The sensitivity to nitrite was decreased by 48% in spectrophotometry and 68% in the μPAD following the reaction with zinc. One of the reasons for the decreased sensitivity is attributed to the production of ammonia, as we elucidated that both nitrite and nitrate produced ammonia via the reaction with zinc. The results suggest that the total concentration of nitrite and nitrate must be corrected by constructing a calibration curve for nitrite with zinc, in addition to developing curves for nitrate with zinc and for nitrite without zinc. Using these calibration curves, the absorbance at different concentration ratios of nitrite and nitrate ions could be reproduced via calculation using the calibration curves with zinc for nitrite and nitrate. Eventually, the developed μPAD was applied to the determination of nitrite and nitrate ions in natural water samples, and the results were compared with those using a conventional spectrophotometric method. The results of the μPAD are in good agreement with those of conventional spectrophotometry, which suggests that the μPAD is reliable for the measurement of nitrite and nitrate ions in natural water samples.

A photothermal assisted zinc-air battery cathode based on pyroelectric and photocatalytic effect

Zinc–air battery as one of the new generations of battery system, its theoretical specific energy is as high as 1086 Wh kg−1, specific capacity up to 820 mAh/g, and zinc has the advantages of environmental friendliness, resource abundance, low cost and good safety, so it has attracted much attention. However, due to its slow reaction kinetic process, zinc–air battery will produce a large charging overpotential usually up to 2 V, it is far beyond the theoretical voltage of 1.65 V, so reducing the overpotential of zinc–air batteries is extremely necessary, and the most common way to solve this problem is to use excellent catalyst cathode to improve the oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution kinetics of zinc–air batteries. So we developed a new photothermal assisted zinc–air battery system with Hollow carbon nanosphere@poly (vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene-chlorofluoroethylene)@CdS(HCN@PVTC@CdS) photocathode, the pyroelectric and photocatalysis effect can effectively promote the reaction kinetics and reduce the reaction overpotential. With the pyroelectric and photocatalysis synergistic effect, the zinc–air has displayed a high discharge potential of 1.33 V and a low charging potential of 1.5 V with good cycle stability. This multi-assist technology with built-in electric and light fields paves the way for the development of high-performance zinc–air batteries and other energy storage systems.

Behavior of calcium lignosulfonate under oxygen pressure acid leaching condition

The behavior of calcium lignosulfonate (CLS) in the oxygen pressure acid leaching process of ZnS concentrate was investigated using total organic carbon assessment (TOC), UV–visible spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and gas chromatography-coupled mass spectrometry (GC–MS) as characterization methods. The effect of the CLS degradation products on zinc electrowinning was also discussed. The results showed that the temperature was positively correlated with the degradation of CLS, while the initial acidity had only significant effects in the range of 0–50 g/L and oxygen partial pressure range of 0–0.1 MPa. At an oxygen partial pressure of 0.2 MPa, an acidity of 160 g/L, and a reaction temperature of 150 °C, about 82.4% of CLS was degraded. In the oxygen pressure acid leaching process, CLS underwent polymerization and decomposition reactions, and its aromatic rings and side chain groups were damaged to varying degrees. At 120 °C, CLS was partially converted into sulfonic acids, phenols, and esters of higher molecular weights. At 150 °C, CLS further degraded into lower-molecular-weight aromatic ethers and sulfonic acids with shorter carbon chains. These organics were relatively stable and were the main sources of organic compounds during the oxygen pressure leaching process of zinc concentrates. The addition of CLS had a significant negative impact on zinc electrowinning, which was related to the adsorption of CLS on the cathode surface, enhancing cathodic polarization and inhibiting zinc reduction kinetics.

Environmental-related applications of ZnO nanopowders: Photocatalytic activity and photoluminescence response to ethanol

Zinc oxide (ZnO) and copper-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Cu) nanopowders were synthesized via solvothermal methods using methanol and hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA). Undoped ZnO nanopowders underwent calcination in O2-rich and H2-rich atmospheres at 600 °C. Samples were studied by scanning electron microscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman, photoluminescence (PL) and UV–vis absorbance spectroscopies. The doping and calcinations led to a reduction of the optical bandgap of the nanopowders, while their structure remained hexagonal wurtzite with some changes in lattice parameters and average nanoparticle sizes. The Cu2+ doping led to a BET surface area and violet PL component increase. Samples were also examined for environmental related applications, namely as photocatalyzers for dye degradation and as ethanol optical sensors. For photocatalytic activity in methylene blue degradation under UV, H2-rich calcined powders excelled, with a rate constant of −0.076 min−1, surpassing −0.057 min−1 (ZnO:Cu), −0.056 min−1 (O2-rich calcination), and −0.041 min−1 (as-grown ZnO). We propose that this improvement can be attributed to the formation of ZnO/Zn interfaces stemming from the reduction of surface interstitial zinc by H2 during calcination, in addition to the observed reduction of the ZnO bandgap. The doped nanopowders PL also showed excellent response when exposed to ethanol vapor.

On the issue of neutralizing carbon dioxide at processing coal in boilers of thermal power plants

The aim of the work is to predict 100% decarbonization of power plant's flue gases; to recover carbon from CO2 in in-situ mode; to extract valuable metals from ash; and to process ash and converter slag into stone casting. The novelty of the work is the development of a system for the integrated processing of coal in a smelter reactor by using high-temperature off gases in a boiler; carbon splitting according to the formula CO2 + 2Zn = 2ZnO + C, with the return of “C" to the system; sublimation of Zn from ZnO using a highly efficient counter-impacting jet method. Experiments carried out in a smelter have shown, the degree of reduction of germanium and zinc from slags ∼70%. The specific energy consumption is 2–3 times lower than in an acting analog. In a pessimistic scenario, the net profit of the system will be sufficient to purchase the missing electricity for the distillation unit: for the 60% carbonization of CO2, at the cost of electricity from wind turbines $46.3/MWh; in order to fully decarbonize CO2 - $31.8/MWh. The system's payback period will not exceed 6–8 years, with the expected net profit of $21,660,860/y.

Smelting a Zn – Pb Sulfide Ore with Magnetite and Carbon for the Production of a Silicon Alloy and Extraction of Zinc and Lead into Sublimates

The article presents the results of thermodynamic prediction and electric smelting of Shalkiya sulfide zinc-lead-bearing ore in the presence of magnetite and coke. Using the HSC-6.0 software package, it was found that under equilibrium conditions in the presence of Fe3O4 and carbon, the reduction and formation of gaseous zinc from ZnS (according to ∆G° = 0) occurs at a temperature of 1205.7 °C, and the formation of ferroalloy at the interaction of the sulfide ore with magnetite and carbon begins at 1200 °C. About 58% of silicon is extracted into the ferroalloy at 1800–1900 °C; almost all zinc and 83–88% of lead turns into a gaseous state. Electric smelting of the sulfide ore in the presence of magnetite concentrate and coke makes it possible to obtain the FS45 grade ferrosilicon (42–43% of Si); the silicon extraction degree was 84–88%. At the same time, 97.3% of lead and 99.2% of zinc are extracted into the sublimates. The developed method for processing zinc sulfide ores allows us to increase the degree of raw materials' comprehensive use due to the extraction of not only zinc and lead, but also silicon. The technology can be used to process raw materials containing zinc, lead and silica, such as zinc ore concentration tailings.

The effects of additive agents on zinc and zinc–nickel alloys electrodeposited on steel substrates in acidic electrolytes

The influence of glycine, as a chelating agent, and triblock copolymer mixture of PPG-PEG-PPG and PEG1000, as a suppressor agent, on the deposition mechanisms of zinc and zinc-nickel alloys were studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and potentiometric electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (PEIS), using electrolyte solutions of chlorinated acid. Cyclic voltammetry measurements show that the composition of the electrolytic solution affects the voltammogram profiles. Complementary PEIS investigations allowed the electrodeposition mechanisms to be highlighted depending on the composition of the electrolytic solution. The electrodeposition of zinc, in the absence of additives, occurs in a single cathodic wave from the ZnCl3− species, whereas in the presence of glycine, a second more cathodic reduction wave is relative to the Zn(Gly)22+ species. The presence of the PPG-PEG-PPG and PEG1000 triblock copolymer induces a clear inhibition of the zinc reduction. Nevertheless, the zinc electrodeposition follows a three-dimensional instantaneous nucleation. The zinc electroplating mechanism involves a capacitive semi-circle at high frequency and two inductive loops at medium and low frequencies assigned to two adsorbed intermediates onto the substrate whatever the electrolyte composition. The presence of the polymer mixture affects the zinc reduction by increasing the charge-transfer resistance and the adsorption phenomena on the substrate. The electrodeposition of zinc-nickel alloys reveals a single reduction wave, from ZnCl3− and Ni(Gly)2+ species, and multiple anodic signals depending on the electrolytic composition, according to the presence of glycine to chelate the nickel species. The zinc-nickel electroplating was evidenced to be a multiple-step process with a three-dimensional instantaneous nucleation, including intermediate species adsorbed onto the substrate. The equivalent circuit proposed consists of two capacitive half-circles separated by an inductive loop for any electrolytic solution. However, the impedance spectra were affected by the presence of glycine by modifying the inductive loop reflecting the first adsorbed intermediate (Ni(I)ads). The morphology of zinc and zinc-nickel, with a nickel content between 14 and 19 wt%, is affected by the electrolyte composition, however with the same crystal lattice. The preferential orientation of the lattice was shown to depend on the additives present in the solution.

Synthesis and Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction of a Cyclic Zinc(II) Porphyrin Trimer with an Encapsulated Rhenium(I) Bipyridine Tricarbonyl Complex.

We previously reported a cyclic Zn(II) porphyrin trimer in which three Zn porphyrins are alternately bridged by three 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) moieties, enabling the encapsulation of metal complexes within the nanopore formed by the Zn porphyrins. In this study, we introduced a [Re(CO)3 Br] fragment into one of the bpy moieties of the cyclic trimer to form the catalytic Re(4,4'-R2 -bpy)(CO)3 Br center (R=methyl ester). The ester groups (R) play an important role in the synthesis of the cyclic structure. However, it was observed that these ester groups significantly deactivated the photocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction. Therefore, we converted the ester groups with a suitable reducing reagent into hydroxymethyl groups, followed by acetylation to form acetoxymethyl groups. This modification remarkably enhanced the photocatalytic activity of the cyclic trimer=Re complex system for CO2 reduction. Moreover, in the modified system, the presence of the Re complex induced room-temperature phosphorescence of the Zn porphyrin. The phosphorescence was significantly quenched by 1,3-dimethyl-2-phenyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzo[d]imidazole, indicating that efficient electron transfer mediated by the excited triplet state of the Zn porphyrin occurs during the photocatalytic CO2 reduction.

Extraction of Pb, Cu, Zn and As from Fine Dust of Copper Smelting Industry via Leaching with Sulfuric Acid

Fine dust from copper smelting plants is an important source of raw materials for the extraction of various valuable metals. A specific feature of dust from copper smelting plants in Kazakhstan is their high arsenic content of up to 15%. This work shows the possibility of hydrometallurgical processing of fine dust from copper smelters, obtained during the converting of copper mattes through the Vanyukov process, via direct leaching with sulfuric acid. The influence of temperature, process time and the S:L (solid/liquid) ratio on the selective extraction of Pb, Zn, Cu and As into targeted products under leaching conditions is studied. The results of the test work show that with the optimal process parameters of S:L = 1.5, t = 60 °C, τ = 60 min, the extraction of copper and zinc into solution is achieved as 89% and 96%, respectively, and lead into cake by up to 97%. The relatively low extraction of copper and zinc into the solution is explained by the transition of copper and zinc ferrites that are insoluble in sulfuric acid into the lead cake. The redistribution of arsenic between the leaching products established in this case also affects the reduction in copper and zinc in the solution. The extraction of arsenic into the solution is 49.32%. More than half of the arsenic from the dust is left in the lead cake. The concentration of arsenic in lead cake will lead to its transition into circulating dust during smelting. This will increase the accumulation of arsenic in the overall process flow. Therefore, when organizing dust-processing technology, it is necessary to provide measures for the preliminary removal of arsenic.

Reduction of zinc and iron in dust removal ash by H2 generated from lignite pyrolysis

The article describes a process based on the hydrogen recovery of dust removal ash from lignite pyrolysis. The high volatile components in lignite will produce a large amount of H2 during the pyrolysis process, which can replace part of C to reduce zinc and iron oxides in dust removal ash, thereby achieving the goal of reducing carbon consumption. Two methods were used to study the different pyrolysis behaviors of lignite, and it was found that the peak of H2 release was reached at 700 °C. After 1000 °C, the pyrolysis of lignite basically ended, and the final pyrolysis gases were mainly H2, CO, CO2, CH4, and a small amount of CxHy. In addition, the proportion of H2 generated by the full pyrolysis of lignite at 1000 °C in H2–H2O is 84.4 %, and the proportion of CO in the CO–CO2 system is 74 %, which can meet the reduction of zinc and iron oxides in dust removal ash. Based on the principle of minimum free energy and laboratory experiments, zinc oxide is completely reduced to zinc vapor above 906 °C, while the Fe obtained from iron oxide reduction increases with the increase of H2/CO in the system above 810 °C, further confirming the feasibility of this process. The effects of temperature, lignite added amount and holding time on iron reduction and zinc volatilization during the reduction process of dust removal ash was investigated. The results indicate that due to the fast diffusion rate of H2, the reaction rate is greatly increased, which can quickly increase the metallization rate of dust removal ash to over 95 % and the dezincification rate also increases from 19.60 % to about 98.76 % with the increase of carbon content under low temperature (1000 °C) and low carbon content (10 wt %) conditions.

FeCo Bimetallic Alloy Nanoparticles Embedded in Nitrogen-Doped Porous Carbon for Effective Oxygen Reduction in Zinc–Air Batteries

FeCo Bimetallic Alloy Nanoparticles Embedded in Nitrogen-Doped Porous Carbon for Effective Oxygen Reduction in Zinc–Air Batteries

Remediation Approaches to Reduce Hydrocarbon Contamination in Petroleum-Polluted Soil.

Heavy metals pollution associated with oil spills has become a major concern worldwide. It is essential to break down these contaminants in the environment. In the environment, microbes have been used to detoxify and transform hazardous components. The process can function naturally or can be enhanced by adding nutrients, electron acceptors, or other factors. This study investigates some factors affecting hydrocarbon remediation technologies/approaches. Combinations of biological, chemical, and eco-toxicological techniques are used for this process while monitoring the efficacy of bacterial products and nutrient amendments to stimulate the biotransformation of contaminated soil. Different hydrocarbon removal levels were observed with bacterial augmentation (Beta proteobacterium and Rhodococcus ruber), exhibiting a total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) reduction of 61%, which was further improved to a 73% reduction using bacterial augmentation combined with nutrient amendment (nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus). A heavy metal analysis of the polluted soils showed that the combination of nutrient and bacterial augmentation resulted in a significant reduction (p-value < 0.05) in lead, zinc, and barium. Toxicity testing also showed that a reduction of up to 50% was achieved using these remediation approaches.

Effect of CaO on zinc migration mechanism and kinetics during zinc ferrite reduction

Effects of CaO, reduction time and reduction temperature on the Zn migration mechanism and kinetic model were studied. Results show that CaO improves the volatilization rate of Zn by promoting the precipitation and enrichment of the intermediate product ZnO on the surface of the mixture of Fe and CaO. The reduction steps of ZnFe2O4 with CaO are ZnFe2O4→Ca2Fe2O5→FeO→Fe. The volatilization model of the reduction of ZnFe2O4 was changed from a first-order chemical reaction model (without CaO) to a three-dimensional diffusion model (with CaO), and the apparent activation energy was reduced from 313.9 to 91.77 kJ/mol, providing favorable conditions for the efficient reduction and volatilization of zinc.

Hydrogen reduction process for zinc-bearing dust treatment: Reduction kinetic mechanism and microstructure transformations in a novel and environmentally friendly metallurgical technique

The iron and steel sector generates 80 million tons of zinc-containing dust annually, traditionally treated using carbon-based pyrometallurgical processes, which have significant drawbacks, including large carbon emissions, high energy consumption, and low production value. To address the above issues, a green hydrogen reduction method was developed for zinc-bearing dust treatment. This study examined the thermodynamics, reduction kinetics, and phase transformation during the process, revealing that at 800 °C, the hydrogen partial pressure for zinc oxide reduction is only 45.56 %. The direct reduction of zinc-containing dust pellets with hydrogen reveals that the limiting step of iron oxide and zinc reductions both are interfacial chemical reaction control at the reduction temperature of 800–950 °C, with an apparent activation energy of 16.42 kJ/mol and 71.39 kJ/mol. The kinetic mechanism indicates that reducing iron and zinc oxides is more accessible in a hydrogen reduction system, with lower apparent activation energies than carbothermal reduction. Consequently, hydrogen reduction offers a more efficient and environmentally friendly solution for treating zinc-bearing dust.

Synergistic benefits of recovered carbon black demineralisation for tyre recycling

Low levels of tyre recycling persist due to the lack of an appropriate technology. Pyrolysis is a suitable method to process waste tyres as it allows for the recovery of carbon-black components via the production of Recovered Carbon black (RCb). Although this product has potential applications as a recycled filler material, inorganic residues currently inhibit performance of RCb, hindering closed-loop tyre recycling. To address this, RCb was demineralised by hydrothermal washing and by using hydrochloric acid at two different concentrations (0.1 M, 5 M) to assess impacts on the physiochemical properties of the RCb. Ash content was reduced from 16.1% to between 5.8 and 13.1%, due to reductions in zinc, sulphur, iron, and aluminium content. This improved the physiochemical properties of the RCb significantly. Calculated estimates regarding the value of metals removed by RCb demineralisation (∼$155/tonne of RCb), elucidated the potential opportunity for metal recovery from waste tyre rubber.

Vineyard renewal reduces copper and zinc bioavailability and increases microbial diversity in southern Brazil

The long-term use of vineyards and their renewal causes numerous chemical changes in the bioavailable copper, zinc levels, carbon and microbial properties of the soil. However, there is still a gap in relation to the impacts of vineyard renewal on the bioavailability of Cu and Zn and on the microbial structure of the soil. Thus, the purpose was to evaluate the bioavailability of Cu and Zn, activity, richness and microbial diversity of the soil of renewed vineyards in southern Brazil. Three treatments were established: old cultivation, i.e., a well-established vineyard; renewed vineyard; and reference, a native forest located adjacent to the vineyards. The physical-chemical properties clay level, moisture, pH, organic matter (OM), carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) level; the basal respiration (BR), microbial biomass Carbon (MBC), microbial biomass Nitrogen (MBN), hydrolysis of fluorescein diacetate (FDA), microbial quotient (qMic), and metabolic quotient (qCO2); and microbial richness and Shannon diversity were determined. The organic C level influenced the microbial activity and richness. The change in microbial diversity indexes impacted soil biological activity in two locations. Vineyard renewal promotes the reduction of Cu (− 48.8%) and zinc (− 20%) bioavailability and increases microbial diversity in subtropical soils in southern Brazil.

Determination of serum zinc concentration in normal healthy men &amp; type II diabetes mellitus patients.

Body zinc content is regulated by the homeostatic mechanism, which regulate zinc absorption and excretion depending on its body requirements. The function of cells and tissues enzymes is depend zinc content &amp; over 70 human body enzymes with which zinc is associated. Pervious studies show that some trace elements like magnesium, zinc, manganese &amp; selenium may play important role in action of insulin hormone, including activation of insulin receptor sites. The aim of the study is to determine the serum level of zinc in normal healthy men &amp; diabetes mellitus type II patients. A cross sectional study was done in Tikrit teaching hospital from beginning of January to end of December 2010. The study conducted on 50 type 2 diabetic male patients was participated in the study. While, 30 normal healthy men age matched (aged 55 to 60 years) were included as a control. Serum zinc was measured for control healthy non diabetic subjects &amp; diabetic type 2 patients. There were non significant differences regarding age. However there is significant increase in BMI of diabetic patients as compare with control men. Fasting serum glucose was significantly higher in DM patients as compare with control subjects. Moreover, there is significant reduction in serum zinc in diabetic patients (89.35 ± 19.23 µg/dl) as compare with normal health subjects (135 ± 35.18 µg/dl). In diabetic patients, there is significant negative correlation between fasting blood sugar &amp; serum zinc (r= - 0.37). In present study conclude that there is a significant reduction in serum zinc in diabetic patients. The present study recommend that diabetic type II patients should be encourage to eat diet rich in zinc or take zinc supplement.

ОЦЕНКА ВОЗМОЖНОСТИ ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЯ ГИДРОЛИЗНОГО ЛИГНИНА КАК ВОССТАНОВИТЕЛЯ МЕТАЛЛОВ ИЗ ПЫЛИ ДУГОВЫХ ЭЛЕКТРОПЕЧЕЙ

Experimental results on the reduction of zinc and iron from the dust of electric arc furnaces by hydrolytic lignin in an inert atmosphere are given in the work. The thermogravimetric curve data were processed at temperatures of 700–1000 ºC. It was found that the reduction occurs in two stages: 700–800 ºC and 800–950 ºC. Samples of the original dust and those recovered at different temperatures are not single-phase, which was determined by X-ray phase analysis. In the initial dust, such phases as Fe3O4 and ZnO predominate, at 800 ºC the reflections of the FeO phase have the highest intensity, at 1000 ºC the Fe phase appears in the samples. Based on the data of thermal and X-ray phase analysis, reaction equations are proposed that underlie the process of reduction of dust metals by hydrolytic lignin.

Zinc supplements may prevent and treat cutaneous toxicities induced by epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors.

Inhibitors of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFRi) widely used in the therapy of cancer are associated with cutaneous adverse reactions (CARs) in >90% of continuously treated patients, including papulo-pustular or acneiform eruptions, xerosis, pruritus, paronychia and alopecia1 and, very occasionally, necrolytic migratory erythema-like (NME) reactions.2, 3 These CAR are usually associated with better treatment response, but may severely impact patient's quality of life and are a frequent reason for treatment withdrawal or dose reduction. The mechanisms underlying these CAR are not completely understood, but have been explained mostly by the pharmacologic activity of the drugs. EGF is involved in the survival, migration, proliferation and maturation of basal epidermal keratinocytes but is essential also in the follicles, nail apparatus, sebaceous and eccrine glands. Therefore, EGF receptor inhibition induces cell growth arrest, premature differentiation and keratinocyte apoptosis, causing thinner skin with epidermal barrier disruption, oxidative stress, inflammation with a Th2 pattern, reduction of skin innate immunity, and disturbance of sebaceous lipids.4, 5 This may explain xerosis, dermatitis and increased lesional Staphylococcus aureus colonization, often observed in these patients. However, based on the report of low-zinc levels in a case of erlotinib-induced NME-like2 and 25 cases of EGFRi-induced xerotic dermatitis with low- or marginal serum zinc levels who improved after zinc supplementation in more than 75% of the cases,6 Chun-Wei Lu and the team of Wen-Hung Chung from Taiwan decided to study the relationship between zinc levels and CAR from EGFRi, as presented in this issue of JEADV.3 They studied 101 patients treated with different EGFR inhibitors targeting the Tyrosine kinase (EGFR-TKI) (gefitinib, erlotinib, afatinib, osimertinib, and zorifertinib) who developed papulo-pustular reactions, dry skin and eczema, paronychia, NME-like eruption and/or dysgeusia. They had a significantly lower plasma zinc level when compared with patients with cancer without these therapies or out-patients with no cancer and no ECGFR therapy. Low-zinc levels occurred in all the phenotypes of CAR and zinc reduction was correlated with CAR severity. Moreover, in 55 patients who received supplementation with zinc gluconate skin lesions improved significantly with no need to reduce the dose or stop the EGFR-TKI.3 To further demonstrate the relation between zinc and EGFRi, the authors have shown that zinc levels decreased significantly in animals treated with erlotinib for 2 weeks, and these rats developed periorificial lesions simulating NME or acrodermatitis enteropathica-like lesions with histopathology similar to the patients who had developed this phenotype of CAR.3 This data supports that zinc deficiency may be one of the drivers of EGFRi-induced CAR, although there is no proven explanation for this effect. Some EGFRi, like erlotinib, may have zinc-binding activity or the EGFRi may interfere with zinc transport during absorption in the duodenum or with keratinocyte zinc transporters (ZnT2).3, 6 Zinc is abundant in the epidermis, controlling multiple metalloenzymes and transcription factors that regulate protein, lipid and DNA synthesis and degradation, and is essential for controlling several epidermal functions (keratinocyte differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis, skin inflammation and wound repair). EGFRi-induced CAR has many similarities with skin manifestations of zinc deficiency, namely NME or acrodermatitis enteropathica, paronychia, alopecia, dysgeusia and Staphylococcal skin colonization. Acneiform or papulo-pustular reactions, as observed in EGFRi-induced CAR, are not reported in zinc deficiency, but even though plasma zinc levels measured in acne are conflicting, topical or systemics treatments with zinc have been proposed for the treatment of acne.7 If zinc deficiency is further confirmed in all these phenotypes of CAR induced by EGFRi, both monoclonal antibodies anti-EGFR and oral ECGR-TKI, it might be important to perform systematic zinc supplementation in association with these therapies, instead of using prolonged treatments with tetracyclines, retinoids or topical steroids which may have other adverse effects. Has participated in advisory boards or performed paid lectures for Abbvie, Astra-Zeneca, Leo, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, Takeda. Data sharing not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.