As early as the 16th century it was prepared on a large scale, and was historically known as "white vitriol"[5] (the name was used, for example, in 1620s by the collective writing under the pseudonym of Basil Valentine).

Side effects include "...increased acetaldehyde and fusel alcohol production due to high yeast growth when zinc concentrations exceed 5 ppm.

[12] Side effects of excess supplementation may include abdominal pain, vomiting, headache, and tiredness.

[4] Zinc sulfate is produced by treating virtually any zinc-containing material (metal, minerals, oxides) with sulfuric acid.

The solid consists of [Zn(H2O)6]2+ ions interacting with sulfate and one water of crystallization by hydrogen bonds.

Zinc sulfate occurs as several other minor minerals, such as zincmelanterite, (Zn,Cu,Fe)SO4·7H2O (structurally different from goslarite).

Excess ingestion results in acute stomach distress, with nausea and vomiting appearing at 2–8 mg/kg of body weight.

[18] Nasal irrigation with a solution of zinc sulfate has been found to be able to damage the olfactory sense nerves and induce anosmia in a number of different species, including humans.