Over time, the material slowly expands, cracking, buckling and warping in an irreversible process that makes the object exceedingly brittle and prone to fracture, and can eventually shatter the object, destroying it altogether. Due to the expansion process, attached normal material may also be damaged. The occurrence and severity of zinc pest in articles made of susceptible zinc alloys depends both on the concentration of lead impurities in the metal and on the storage conditions of the article in the ensuing decades.
Gradually, the material expands, cracking, bending, and warping irreversibly into a brittle state that makes it prone to breaking. This process can cause the object to shatter completely. Additionally, attached normal materials may be damaged due to this expansion. The occurrence and severity of zinc pest in articles made from susceptible zinc alloys are influenced by both lead impurities' concentration within the metal and storage conditions over decades.