Copper is a reddish metal that occurs naturally in rock, soil, water, sediment, and air. Its average concentration in the earth's crust is about 50 parts copper per million parts soil (ppm). Copper also occurs naturally in plants and animals. It is an essential element for all known living organisms including humans and other animals.
Copper can be easily molded or shaped. Its reddish color is most commonly seen in the pennies, electrical wiring, and some water pipes. It is also found in many metal alloys, such as brass and bronze. Many compounds of copper exist. These include naturally occurring minerals as well as man-made chemicals. The most commonly used compound of copper is copper sulfate. Many copper compounds can be recognized by their blue-green color.
Copper is primarily used as the metal or alloy in the manufacture of wire, sheet metal, pipe, and other metal products. Copper compounds are most commonly used in agriculture to treat plant diseases, like mildew, or for water treatment and as preservatives for wood, leather, and fabrics.
Exposure to copper can occur by breathing air, drinking water, eating food, and by skin contact with soil, water, and other copper-containing substances. Most copper compounds found in air, water, sediment, soil, and rock are bound to dust and dirt or imbedded in minerals and are not easily bioavailable. Some copper in the environment is less tightly bound to particles and may be taken up by plants and animals. Soluble copper compounds (most commonly used in agriculture) are more likely to have harmful impacts. When soluble copper compounds are released into lakes and rivers, they generally become attached to particles in the water within approximately a day, and are then less of a threat to the environment although the particular conditions of the watershed determines the form.
The concentration of copper in air ranges from a few nanograms in a cubic meter of air (ng/m3) to about 200 ng/m3. Near smelters that process copper ore into metal, concentrations may reach 5000 ng/m3.
The average concentration of copper in tap water ranges from 20 to 75 parts copper per billion parts water (ppb). However, many households have copper concentrations of more than 1000 ppb. That is more than 1 mg/l of water due to copper pipes and brass faucets.
The average concentration of copper in lakes and rivers is 4 ppb. The average copper concentration in groundwater is similar to that in lakes and rivers; however, some groundwater contains higher levels of copper. Lakes and reservoirs recently treated with copper compounds to control algae or receive cooling water from a power plant may have high concentrations of dissolved copper.
Soil generally contains between 2 and 250 ppm copper, although concentrations close to 7000 ppm have been found near copper production facilities. Another common source of copper in soil results from spreading sludge from sewage treatment plants. This copper generally stays strongly attached to the surface layer of soil.
Food naturally contains copper. People ingest about 1 mg of copper every day.
Copper rapidly enters the bloodstream and is distributed throughout the body after ingestion. Other foods eaten with copper can affect the amount of copper that enters the bloodstream. The human body is efficient in blocking high levels of copper from entering the bloodstream. vomiting or diarrhea may follow ingestion of high levels of copper preventing copper from entering the blood. Copper is excreted through feces and urine. It takes several days for copper to be excreted.
Copper and its salts are highly soluble in water concentrations of 1,000 mg and more will mix with a liter of water.
Copper is highly persistent in water, with a half-life greater than 200 days.
Copper often contains arsenic as an impurity.
| BENCHMARKS | |
Canadian Water Quality Guidelines | |
| Drinking water guideline | 1.0 mg/l |
| Protection of freshwater aquatic life | 0.002-0.004 mg/l
dependent on water hardness |
| Irrigation water | 0.2 -1.0 mg/l
dependent on crop |
| Livestock watering | 0.5 - 5.0 mg/l |
Ontario Water Quality Objectives | |
| PWQO | 0.0005 mg/l |
U.S.EPA | |
| Maximum Contaminant Level Goal and Action Level |
1.3 ppm |
OSHA | |
| Legal airborne permissible exposure limit (PEL) |
1.0 mg/m3 for dusts and mists
0.1 mg/m3 for fume averaged over an 8-hour workshift |
|
ACGIH | |
| Recommended airborne exposure limit | 1.0 mg/m3 for dusts and mists
0.2 mg/m3 for fume averaged over an 8-hour workshift |
LC50 Values | |
| Rainbow Trout | 0.05 mg/l at water hardness < 100 mg/l
0.15 mg/l at water hardness > 100 mg/l |
| Daphnia magna | 0.044 mg/l |
| Fathead minnow | 0.1 mg/l at water hardness <100 |
HUMAN HEALTH
Copper is essential to good health. However, very large single or daily intakes of copper can be harmful. The seriousness of the effects of copper can be expected to increase with both level and length of exposure.
Long-term exposure to copper dust can irritate the nose, mouth, throat, and eyes, and cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, and diarrhea. Copper may cause coughing and nose bleeds.
Water containing higher than normal levels of copper may cause vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, and nausea.
Intentionally high intakes of copper can cause liver and kidney damage and even death.
Very young children are sensitive to copper, and long-term exposure to high levels of copper in food or water may cause liver damage and death.
Eye contact with particles of copper can cause a severe reaction that can lead to blindness.
Copper may cause an allergic skin rash.
Repeated exposure can cause thickening of the skin and may cause a greenish color to the skin and hair. It may also cause chronic irritation of the nose and ulcers.
Repeated very high copper exposures can damage the liver.
Copper is not known to cause cancer. There is evidence that workers in copper smelters have an increased risk of lung cancer, but this is thought to be due to arsenic trioxide exposure and not copper.
"Wilsons Disease" is a rare condition that interferes with the body's ability to get rid of copper. Anyone suffering from this illness, should consult a doctor about copper exposure.
MEDICAL TESTS
Serum and urine copper levels.
ANIMAL HEALTH
Copper is a commonly occurring element in our natural water. At low concentrations it is an essential element for both plants and animals. At slightly higher concentrations it is toxic to aquatic life. The toxicity of copper and its compounds to aquatic life varies with the physical and chemical conditions of the water. Factors such as water hardness, alkalinity and pH influence copper toxicity.
Copper and its compounds have high acute and chronic toxicity to aquatic life. Acute toxic effects may include the death of animals, birds, or fish, and death or low growth rate in plants.Chronic toxic effects may include shortened lifespan, reproductive problems, lower fertility, and changes in appearance or behavior.
The concentration of copper found in fish tissues is expected to be considerably higher than the average concentration of copper in the water from which the fish was taken.
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