Copper: Environmental Health Criteria Series No. 200

This book evaluates the risks to human health and the environment posed by exposure to copper, a malleable metal found naturally in a wide variety of mineral salts and organic compounds, and in the metallic form. Copper is an essential element for all biota. It is widely used in cooking utensils and water distribution systems, in fertilizers, bactericides, fungicides, algicides, and antifouling paints, and in animal feed additives and growth promoters. Industrial applications include use as an activator in froth flotation and sulfide ores, in the production of wood preservatives, in electroplating, and in the manufacturing of azo-dyes.