Biophysical Properties of Copper (Cu+)

Copper is an essential micro-nutrient, needed at 1.3 milligrams per day, according to the International Copper Association. It is needed for red blood cell formation, protein metabolism, the production of RNA, enzyme activity, hair and skin color, and the health of the nerves. Colloidal Copper has been used as a remedy for gray hair, burns, arthritis, parasites and viral and bacterial infections.  Colloidal Copper has been found helpful against multi-cellular parasites such as malaria, Ring-worm, Cryptosporidium,  Toxoplasma,chronic bladder infections where bacteria have formed a multi-cellular biofilm.

Jan 2008: “High-dose copper reverses heart enlargement: Maximum safe level in drinking water is 2 ppm” from Journal of Experimental Medicine at http://www.newstarget.com/022517.html

Characteristics: Distinctive reddish color; ductile; excellent conductor of electricity. Complexing agent, coordination numbers 2 and 4. Dissolves readily in nitric and hot concentrated H2SO4, in HCl and dilute H2SO4 slowly but only when exposed to the atmosphere. More resistant to atmospheric corrosion than iron, forming a green layer of hydrated basic carbonate. Readily attacked by alkalies. A necessary trace element in human diet; a factor in plant metabolism. Essentially nontoxic in elemental form. Powder is combustible. Copper increases iron assimilation; iron and copper work together in the formation of hemoglobin and red blood cells. Anemia can be a copper deficiency symptom. Various enzyme reactions require copper. Copper influences protein metabolism and general healing, improves vitamin C oxidation and is integral in the formation of RNA. Low or high copper levels can be found in those with mental and emotional problems. Copper helps rid the body of parasites such as ring worm, taenia,  and is beneficial for graying and thinning hair. Copper excess is not common because only a small percentage is assimilated, but toxicity problems can present serious disease states. Some symptoms of a copper deficiency: Allergies, Anemia, Aneurysm, Arthritis, Dry Brittle Hair, Edema, Gulf War Syndrome, Hair Loss / Baldness, Heart Disease, Hernias, High Blood Cholesterol, Hypo and Hyper Thyroidism, Kawasaki Disease, Liver cirrhosis, Oppressed breathing, Osteoporosis, Parasites, Parkinson’s Disease, Reduced Glucose Tolerance, Ruptured Disc, Skin Eruptions or Sores, Varicose Veins, White or Gray Hair, and Wrinkled skin.

List of Contaminants from EPA

As part of the Drinking Water and Health pages, this fact sheet is part of a larger publication:
National Primary Drinking Water Regulations

This is a fact sheet about a chemical that may be found in some public or private drinking water supplies. It may cause health problems if found in amounts greater than the health standard set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

What are the health effects?

Short- and long-term effects: Copper is an essential nutrient, required by the body in very small amounts. However, EPA has found copper to potentially cause the following health effects when people are continually exposed to it at levels above the Action Level. Short periods of exposure can cause gastrointestinal disturbance, including nausea and vomiting. Use of water that exceeds the Action Level over many years could cause liver or kidney damage. People with Wilsons disease may be more sensitive than others to the effect of copper contamination and should consult their health care provide

Water Purification:

Silver is employed as a bactericide and algaecide in an ever increasing number of water purification systems in hospitals, remote communities and, more recently, domestic households. Silver ions have been used to purify drinking water and swimming pool water for generations. New research into silver compounds is providing physicians with powerful, clinically effective treatments against which bacteria cannot develop resistance. An increasing trend is the millions of on-the-counter and under-the-counter water purifiers that are sold each year in the United States to rid drinking water of bacteria, chlorine, trihalomethanes, lead, particulates, and odor. Here silver is used to prevent the buildup of bacteria and algae in the filters. Of the billions of dollars spent yearly in the U.S. for drinking water purification systems, over half make advantageous use of the bactericidal properties of silver. New research has shown that the catalytic action of silver, in concert with oxygen, provides a powerful sanitizer, virtually eliminating the need for the use of corrosive chlorine.

Catalysts:

One of the great discoveries of chemistry was that the efficiency of chemical reactions can be significantly increased in the presence of other elements or compounds that do not enter into the reaction. A hundred years ago it was discovered that silver was one of those elements. Ever since, silver has been essential to the production of chemicals for the US $300 billion plastics industry. It is estimated that some 700 tons of silver are in continuous use in the world’s chemical industry for the production of two compounds essential to the plastics industry. One is the reaction that produces ethylene oxide (the basic building block for flexible plastics), the other is the reaction that produces formaldehyde (the building block of solid plastics). Since 1908, it has been known that silver greatly increases the efficiency of the production of formaldehyde from methyl (wood) alcohol. Here silver catalyses the oxidation of an alcohol into an aldehyde called formaldehyde, which is one of the most important industrial and research chemicals. It is an essential building block for a class of plastics with an estimated world production exceeding 15-million tons per year which includes adhesives, laminating resins for construction plywood and particle board, finishes for paper and electronic equipment textiles, surface coatings that resist heat and scratches, dinnerware and buttons, casings for appliances, handles and knobs, packaging materials, automotive parts, thermal and electrical insulating materials, toys, and the list goes on. Silver is the only catalyst that will oxidize ethylene gas into ethylene oxide whose worldwide production exceeds 14-million tons per year. It is the building block for polyester textiles used to make all types of clothing and a great variety of specialty fabrics, it is also used for molded items (such as insulating handles for stoves, key tops for computers, electrical control knobs, domestic appliance components, and electrical connector housings), and Mylar tape which makes up 100% of all audio, VCR, and other types of recording tapes. About 25% of ethylene oxide production is used to produce antifreeze coolant for automobiles and other types of vehicles. An additional 10% is used to produce cleaning and wetting agents, and the remaining 5% to make cleaning solvents. Oxidative Capacity – Silver is a recognized powerful oxidizer. Metallurgists have long known the unique affinity of silver with oxygen. Molten silver will hold ten times its volume in oxygen. On freezing, the contraction of silver vigorously ejects the oxygen; a dangerous activity known as spitting. Not all oxygen is ejected; much is retained in the silver lattice as well as adhered to its surface.

Atomic oxygen (O⁺²) fits within the silver lattice and as silver resists oxidation, it is an ideal atomic oxygen reservoir. As atomic oxygen (also called nascent oxygen) is extremely reactive, the silver is essentially a reservoir for oxidation reactions, wherein the oxygen is immediately available to react with any organic or inorganic compound it contacts. Silver can be oxidized chemically, but the oxygen is so weakly held that AgO or Ag₂O decomposes below 200°C. Furthermore, atomic oxygen adsorbed on the silver surface recombines to form molecular O₂ at about 300°C. [See: C.B. Wang, G. Deo and I.E. Wachs, “Interaction of Polycrystalline Silver with Oxygen, Water, Carbon Dioxide, Ethylene, and Methanol: In Situ Raman and Catalytic Studies,” Jour. of Physical Chemistry B, Vol. 103, p. 5645 (1999)].

The resistance of silver to oxidation is such that silver will not sustain combustion even if ignited [See: R.W. Monroe et al, “Metal Combustion in High-Pressure Flowing Oxygen,” Flammability and Sensitivity of Materials in Oxygen-Enriched Atmospheres, ASTM STP 812, Am. Soc, Testing Mats., Conshohocken, PA, (1983)].  Because the spaces in its crystal structure permit oxygen atom to flow, silver is used as a filter to separate it from other gases and provide an output of pure atomic oxygen for oxidation studies. [See: R.A. Outlaw, “O₂ and CO₂ Glow-Discharge-Assisted Oxygen Transport Through Ag,” Jour. Applied Physics, Vol. 68 (3), p. 1001-1004 (1 August 1990).]

Raman (infrared) spectroscopy and laser-equipped spectrometers have revealed the role silver plays in catalyzing oxidation reactions. In the catalytic reaction chamber, as air flows over pure silver crystals individual oxygen atoms (O⁺²) are adsorbed onto the silver surface. These highly charged (O⁺²) atoms aggressively react (oxidize) with any gaseous organic compounds flowing past. In the case of methyl alcohol (CH₃OH) (industrial wood alcohol), the atomic oxygen oxidizes the hydrogen atom from the -OH group to form water (H₂O) and with the hydrogen removed the compound becomes methyl oxide (CH₂O) (formaldehyde). A detailed analysis of these reactions is given in: [C.B. Wang, G. Deo and I.E. Wachs, “Interaction of Polycrystalline Silver with Oxygen, Water, Carbon Dioxide, Ethylene, and Methanol: In Situ Raman and Catalytic Studies,” Jour. of Physical Chemistry B, Vol. 103, p. 5645 (1999)].

Multiple Catalysts – The action of silver may be enhanced by the addition of other metals or compounds. For example, the combination of silver with certain alkali metal salts, such as CsCl, lowers the desorption energy of long chain olefins (e.g. CH₂=CH-CH₃) and by doing so permits removal of a hydrogen atom by oxidation without reducing the entire compound to CO₂ and H₂O. The catalytic conversion of butadiene and other hydrocarbons into their oxides by this technique is being used by the Eastman Chemical Company, Kingsport, TN, to provide chemicals not otherwise produced economically. [See: “The Selective Epoxidation of Non-Allylic Olefins Over Supported Silver Catalysts,” John Monnier, Studies on Surface Science, Catalysis, Vol. 110, pp. 135-149 (1997), 3rd World Congress on Oxidation Catalysis, (1997)]. Additional catalysts downstream can enhance the overall efficiency of silver. For example: in current practice, a stream of gaseous methanol (wood alcohol) over silver crystals results in 90% conversion to formaldehyde. By conducting the output stream over an additional bed of copper crystals, much of the remaining methanol can be converted bringing the total conversion to better than 93%. This might appear to be a small addition, but considering the amounts involved (15 million tons per year) it is economically significant as the combination provides a higher purity formaldehyde requiring less intensive purification. [See: Formaldehyde Production, U.S Patent, No. 6,147,263, Nov. 14, 2000, I. E. Wachs, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA].

All water is corrosive toward copper to some degree, even water termed noncorrosive or water treated to make it less corrosive. Corrosivity toward copper is greatest in very acidic water. Many of the other factors that affect the corrosivity of water toward lead can also be expected to affect the corrosion of copper.

MCLG: 1.3 ppm

Action level: 1.3 ppm