You might know that zinc—element number 30 on the periodic table—is used for galvanizing iron and steel. Here’s some things you might not know. 
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It saves lives. In developing countries, diarrhea is a major cause of death among kids under 5. But cheap zinc tablets can help stave off deadly dehydration. Combined with oral rehydration salts, they can prevent 90 percent of those fatalities.
It saves crops. Zinc-enriched fertilizers boosted wheat and barley production in Turkey by 55 percent. And a subsidiary of Dow Chemical used Zinc-Finger Nucleases (a type of synthetic protein) to alter corn DNA, enabling easier digestion for animals.
It kills parrots. Since zinc is often used to galvanize steel, some parrots’ cages are coated with it. Nibbling birds can get zinc poisoning, leading to feather-plucking, vomiting, seizures, even death. Maybe that Norwegian blue isn’t really resting.
