Copper abiotic materials

Copper concentrations in air, soil, water, sediments, and other abiotic materials are elevated as a result of human activities, especially near copper smelters and mines, urban areas, municipal and industrial wastewater outfalls, marinas containing copper-based antifouling paints, and agricultural soils receiving prolonged applications of copper-based fungicides (Table 3.2). Maximum copper... 

Table 3.2 Copper Concentrations in Selected Abiotic Materials... 

Copper concentrations in field collections of abiotic materials and living organisms are usually elevated in the vicinity of human activities and intensive copper use. Maximum copper concentrations recorded in selected abiotic materials are 5.0 xg/m in air, 5.0 xg/L in groundwater, 12.0 xg/L in rainwater, 1200.0 mg/kg DW in poultry litter,... 

In marine ecosystems, the high copper levels measured in heavily contaminated coastal areas sometimes approach the incipient lethal concentrations for some organisms (Neff and Anderson 1977). Elevated copper concentrations in marine and estuarine environments may result from atmospheric deposition, industrial and municipal wastes, urban runoff, rivers, and shoreline erosion. Chesapeake Bay, for example, receives more than 1800 kg of copper daily from these sources (Hall et al. 1988). Copper concentrations in abiotic marine materials are generally higher near shore than... 

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