ABOUT COPPER & ENVIRONMENT
Copper is a natural trace element that is essential to life. Because of this, copper is an important part of a healthy, natural environment, and is necessary to the well-being of every living thing.
About Copper & Environment
Copper is a natural trace element that is essential to life. Because of this, copper is an important part of a healthy, natural environment, and is necessary to the well-being of every living thing. It occurs naturally in the environment in a variety of forms and concentrations. High concentrations of copper ore deposits exist all over the world.
In these ores, copper occurs in sulfide deposits, carbonate rocks, silicate deposits and as pure "native" copper metal. Much more commonly, trace concentrations of copper may be found in almost all ordinary rocks and soils.
Copper can be released from these rocks during the natural course of weathering, some of the copper binds to organic matter in the water, much of which then precipitates into sediments. The remainder stays suspended in the water, bound to particulate or dissolved matter, or in the form of "free" (ionic) copper. Only this "free" form of copper is bioavailable to organisms. Further, only this bioavailable fraction (generally only a small portion of the total amount of copper in the water) has the potential to be harmful to aquatic organisms.
100% recyclable
Copper is a "green" building material because it is infinitely recyclable - over and over. The performance benefits of copper are not affected by multiple recycling. No matter how many times copper have been recycled, it always maintains its many beneficial properties (i.e. durability, electrical and thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, malleability, ductility, castability, machinability, and excellent joining, alloying, and antimicrobial characteristics).
Since copper scrap in such high demand, large and robust recycling infrastructures have evolved all over the world to process this valued material. The economy of the copper and copper alloy industries depend on robust copper scrap recycling.
Corrosion Resistant
Copper has been valued for its resistance to corrosion in water and the atmosphere. Alloying additions can improve resistance in even more aggressive environments, resulting in a range of materials suitable for use in the manufacture of pumps, pipelines, fittings, pressure vessels and many marine, electrical and general engineering applications. Because copper is largely unaffected by potable water, it is widely used for tubes distributing domestic and industrial water.
Sustainable
Discussion of sustainable development considers pressing issues such as global climate change, rising energy demand, resource conservation, and the critical need to reduce poverty and feed the world's hungry. And in each of these critical areas, the benefits of copper go a long way in helping to achieve a sustainable future.
As a micronutrient essential for all forms of plant and animal life, copper serves a critical function in agriculture to ensure soil fertility and productive yield of vital foodstuffs.
And just as in biology, copper is essential to technology, enabling peak performance from advanced microprocessors and other miniature components that drive the digital economy of today and tomorrow.
All of these uses for copper, and many others, working together environmentally and economically, help to sustain and improve life - now and into the future.
