What is Copper?
CAS#: 007440-50-8
Copper is a metal that occurs naturally throughout the environment,
in rocks, soil, water, and air. Copper is an essential element
in plants and animals (including humans), which means it is
necessary for us to live. Therefore, plants and animals must
absorb some copper from eating, drinking, and breathing.
Copper is used to make many different kinds of products like
wire, plumbing pipes, and sheet metal. U.S. pennies made before
1982 are made of copper, while those made after 1982 are only
coated with copper. Copper is also combined with other metals
to make brass and bronze pipes and faucets.
Copper compounds are commonly used in agriculture to treat
plant diseases like mildew, for water treatment and, as preservatives
for wood, leather, and fabrics.
Related Resources for Copper
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CERCLA Priority List of Hazardous Substances
Prioritization of substances based on a combination of their
frequency, toxicity, and potential for human exposure at
National Priorities List (NPL) sites.
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Interaction Profile
Succintly characterizes the toxicologic and adverse health
effects information for mixtures of hazardous substances.
- Minimal Risk Levels (MRL)
The MRL is an estimate of the daily human exposure to a hazardous substance that is likely to be without appreciable risk of adverse, non-cancer health effects over a specified duration of exposure. The information in this MRL serves as a screening tool to help public health professionals decide where to look more closely to evaluate possible risk of adverse health effects from human exposure.
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Public Health Statement
Summary about a hazardous substance taken from Chapter One
of its respective ATSDR Toxicological Profile.
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ToxFAQ
Fact sheet that answers the most frequently asked questions
about a contaminant and its health effects.
-
Toxicological Profile
Succinctly characterizes the toxicologic and adverse health
effects information for a hazardous substance.
This page was updated on
09/18/2008