Instrumental in all life

Cu in Aquatic Environments

Aquatic organisms require copper to function properly. Since copper is a natural element, it is not appropriate to measure its effects to organisms in laboratory in the same way as is done for man-made chemicals. Copper's effects to organisms depend on a variety of factors, the most important being background levels of copper and organisms' adaptation to them, and bioavailability of copper in different environments. Bioavailability is defined as the degree to which the substance is available to be taken up and absorbed or used in a physiological activity or system of a plant, animal or human.
Bioavailability of copper depends:
- whether the copper found is in a particulate or dissolved state
- the pH level and hardness of the water present
- the metabolic characteristics of the particular organism interacting with copper.
Many waterborne agents like silt, sediments and other metals react to copper to 'lock it up', thus reducing its bioavailability.

Cu in soil

Copper is found in soils throughout the world. However, many soils contain insufficient levels of copper to sustain intensive agricultural practices.
Copper deficiency is a major issue in global food production, resulting in costly losses in yield and lower-quality output. The world's two most important food crops, rice and wheat, are highly susceptible to copper-deficient soil. In Europe, 18 million hectares of cultivated soils (equivalent to 19% of arable land) are believed to be deficient in bio-available copper. To compensate for decreased crop yields, it is common practice, in Western Europe and elsewhere, to replenish the soils with copper-enriched fertilisers and copper sulphate amendments.
In livestock, cattle and sheep both commonly show indications of copper deficiency. For pigs, copper has been shown to be an outstanding growth promoter.

Copper is durable and recyclable

For as long as humans have put copper to use-about 10,000 years-they have taken advantage of the fact that it is virtually 100% recyclable, without any detrimental effect on its properties. According to recent world data, of the 22 million tonnes of copper used annually, 34% comes from recycled material. Lifespans of copper-containing products vary widely, from a hundred years and more in buildings, to just a few in electronic equipment.
Recycling and copper mining go hand in hand. Like all the Earth’s natural reserves, copper mines represent exhaustible sources of primary resources. Through copper recycling, we conserve these resources, thereby stretching the world's reserves of copper still further into the distant future, a key component of the United Nations' goal of sustainable development. It also brings with it enormous savings in energy since the energy-intensive stages in conversion from ore to metal are leapfrogged.

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