What is coppers impact on health and the environment in general?
Copper is a naturally occurring mineral and a dietary requirement for humans and other animals. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Minimum Daily Recommendation for copper intake is 2 mg. But the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Nutrition Center estimates that less than half of U.S. residents consume the minimum daily requirement of copper, which is found in a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, grains, dried beans, nuts, meats, seafood, chocolate and drinking water. Instead of causing disease, copper can prevent it. Copper tube is known to be impermeable to dangerous pollutants present in some soils. Copper is also biostatic, which means that it does not support bacteria that can cause serious illnesses. Preliminary data from recent studies suggest that copper may actually kill E. coli, which occurs in water tainted by animal feces, and the bacteria linked to Legionnaire’s Disease. Copper is found in varying concentrations in soil and water all over the world, mostly as a result of
