Copper in the Enviroment - Sponsored Whitepaper

THIS BOOKLET DISCUSSES SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT WAYS THAT COPPER INTERACTS WITH THE ENVIRONMENT AND, IN PAR- TICULAR, WITH THE HUMAN BODY.

Copper is a natural element – a metal that has been one of mankind's most useful and valuable materials since time immemorial. It is represented by the chemical symbol Cu and the atomic number 29.

Copper is also an essential nutrient that is required by virtually all higher life forms. A natural element in the earth's crust, copper has been incorporated into living organisms throughout the evolutionary process. Without copper, life as we know it would be impossible for most of earth's organisms.

Nature, in its myriad forms, is exceedingly well adapted to making best use of copper and protecting itself from any negative effects. This holds true at the most basic level of chemical reactions, right up to the most complex metabolic functions of the human body.

Nature regulates the uptake and excretion of copper in an almost perfect way. Copper is not magnified in the body nor bioaccumulated in the food chain.