Copper (Cu)

Overview

Copper is an essential metal in enzymes including cytochrome c oxidase, lysyl oxidase, and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase, but excess copper can produce gastrointestinal and hepatic toxicity. Ufelle & Barchowsky 2021 also frames inherited copper-metabolism disorders including Menkes disease and Wilson disease.

Status

This page is a source-map stub created during the re-ingest of Ufelle & Barchowsky 2021. Substantive copper-specific expansion awaits a dedicated copper ingest.

Human exposure source

Association of exposure to synthetic phenols and metal(loid)s with early puberty in Spanish girls: a multicentric case–control study reports urinary metal biomarkers and early-puberty associations in girls recruited across six Spanish hospitals during 2018–2022. The source keeps case and control summaries, detection frequencies and observational effect estimates separate. A single urine measurement and case–control sampling cannot establish exposure before puberty onset, causality, or a particular consumer-product source.

Chromium research: qualified source context

One Nilore, Islamabad soil characterization reported copper of 1.30 µg/g by bulk elemental analysis (Table 2). The source does not state a wet/dry basis or replicated uncertainty. This is a local soil result; it does not measure food occurrence or crop transfer. LABORATORY SCALE ELECTROKINETIC REMEDIATION OF HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM FROM CONTAMINATED SOIL

Nahavand farm study: evidence limitations

Sharafi et al. reported copper in farm soil, mixed-source irrigation water and whole above-ground crop biomass. Its cancer-risk chart assigns copper prominent values despite the absence of a copper cancer slope factor in its own input table. These model outputs are retained as source-error context, without a clinical-risk inference (Table 7; Figure 9). Soil–water–crop pathways of heavy metal contamination and human health risks in intensive smallholder farms of the Nahavand Plain, Iran

Arzew surface-soil survey

Road-zone soils near Arzew had copper mean 31.95 mg/kg, median 21.53 mg/kg and maximum 223.7 mg/kg (N=27). The spatial map uses a copper scale ending at 81 mg/kg, so its plotted surface cannot be substituted for the measured table extrema. Concentrations refer to air-dried aqua-regia-extracted soil (Boudia et al. 2019, Table 2; Figure 3). Spatial contamination and health risks of heavy metal(loid)s in surface soils from a petrochemical complex in the north-eastern region of Algeria

Texas animal-feed survey

In the Texas feed survey, a poultry vitamin/mineral concentrate contained 1,170 mg/kg copper and a goat feed contained 115 mg/kg (Dai et al. 2016, Results 3.3). The authors identified added copper sulfate in both. Nutrient concentrates and finished rations require separate interpretation; the observations alone do not establish a manufacturing contaminant fraction or human exposure. Heavy Metal Contamination of Animal Feed in Texas

Banat soil–nettle–snail study

In the Banat soil–nettle–snail study, Table 1 gives a soil-copper versus foot-copper correlation of 0.45, labelled nonsignificant, despite a contrary narrative claim. Nettle copper versus foot copper is 0.90 (P<0.01). Figure 1 also shows foot copper exceeding hepatopancreas copper at two sites, so the hepatopancreas is not uniformly the more concentrated tissue. These are wild sentinel tissues on a dry basis, with dilute-acid-extractable soil as the environmental comparator (Nica et al. 2012). Bioaccumulative and conchological assessment of heavy metal transfer in a soil-plant-snail food chain

Ganga freshwater-fish study: qualified evidence

The Ganga survey reports river-water copper means of 1.35, 2.54, 2.54 and 4.58 mg/L at Kanpur, Allahabad, Mirzapur and Varanasi respectively (Maurya et al. 2019, Table 3). Separate fish-muscle summaries have a wet/dry-basis conflict, and the source’s tissue/water indices and dietary-risk calculations are not sufficiently consistent to validate exposure conclusions. Bioaccumulation and potential sources of heavy metal contamination in fish species in River Ganga basin: Possible human health risks evaluation

Foamed hydrogels: synthetic-water experiments

In synthetic Cu(II) solution initially measured at 105 ppm, Pille’s 2021 hydrogel thesis reports 103.7 ± 1.9 mg/g dry gel operational removal for the foamed and foam-stabilized material after 24 hours (three replicates; Results 2.4.7). In a mixed solution labeled 35 ppm Cu, 42 ppm Cd and 35 ppm Ni, the corresponding Cu bar is approximately 30 mg/g. These quantities use the change in aqueous metal mass after recovery of the swollen gel, including the change in liquid volume. They do not directly establish polymer-bound copper or treated-water safety. The use of foaming agents and foam stabilizers to improve heavy metal removal properties of acrylic acid/acrylamide hydrogels for use in wastewater remediation

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Ufelle & Barchowsky 2021 — Ufelle AC, Barchowsky A, 2021. Toxic Effects of Metals, Ch 23 in Casarett & Doull’s Essentials of Toxicology, 4th ed.

References

Works cited in this page’s text, in first-appearance order. See Sources for this page’s source inventory. Each title links to its source record, which carries the ingest receipt, the extracted values, and the file hash of the document it was built from.

1. Toxic Effects of Metals (Chapter 23), in Casarett & Doull’s Essentials of Toxicology, Fourth EditionUfelle AC and Barchowsky A · Casarett & Doull’s Essentials of Toxicology, Fourth Edition. McGraw Hill Education · 2021 · www.mhprofessional.comTextbook
2. Association of exposure to synthetic phenols and metal(loid)s with early puberty in Spanish girls: a multicentric case–control studyOlivas-Martinez A, Escribano A, Riaño-Galán I, Torrebias M, Olmedo P, Gil F, et al. · European Journal of Pediatrics 185:295 · 2026 · doi.org/10.1007/s00431-026-06919-1Peer-reviewed
3. LABORATORY SCALE ELECTROKINETIC REMEDIATION OF HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM FROM CONTAMINATED SOILM. Khalid, N. Ahmed, and R. M. Qureshi · The Nucleus 45(1–2):55–61 · 2008 · doi.org/10.71330/nucleus.45.01-2.998Peer-reviewed
4. Soil–water–crop pathways of heavy metal contamination and human health risks in intensive smallholder farms of the Nahavand Plain, IranSaeed Sharafi, Maryam Sharafi, and Maryam Lorvand · Scientific Reports 16:9947 · 2026 · doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-38637-xPeer-reviewed
5. Spatial contamination and health risks of heavy metal(loid)s in surface soils from a petrochemical complex in the north-eastern region of AlgeriaHayat Boudia, Laurent Vassalo, Mohammed Hadjel, Pascale Prudent, and Jean-Luc Boudenne · International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology 16:4707–4718; HAL author-manuscript version read · 2019 · doi.org/10.1007/s13762-018-02195-1Peer-reviewed
6. Heavy Metal Contamination of Animal Feed in TexasSusie Y. Dai, Ben Jones, Kyung-Min Lee, Wei Li, Lynn Post, and Timothy J. Herrman · Journal of Regulatory Science4(1):21–32 · 2016 · doi.org/10.21423/jrs-v04n01p021Peer-reviewed
7. Bioaccumulative and conchological assessment of heavy metal transfer in a soil-plant-snail food chainDragos V Nica, Marian Bura, Iosif Gergen, Monica Harmanescu, and Despina-Maria Bordean · Chemistry Central Journal 6:55 · 2012 · doi.org/10.1186/1752-153X-6-55Peer-reviewed
8. Bioaccumulation and potential sources of heavy metal contamination in fish species in River Ganga basin: Possible human health risks evaluationPradip Kumar Maurya, D. S. Malik, Krishna Kumar Yadav, Amit Kumar, Sandeep Kumar, and Hesam Kamyab · Toxicology Reports 6:472–481 · 2019 · doi.org/10.1016/j.toxrep.2019.05.012Peer-reviewed
9. The use of foaming agents and foam stabilizers to improve heavy metal removal properties of acrylic acid/acrylamide hydrogels for use in wastewater remediationAnn Pille · MSc thesis, Bioresource Engineering, McGill University, Macdonald Campus; December2021 · 2021 · mcgill.scholaris.caThesis
10. Wastewater Irrigation and Accumulation of Heavy Metals in Vegetable Crops (Broccoli and Cauliflower)Bayan Rashid Rahim · Tikrit Journal for Agricultural Sciences 23(2):162–170 · 2023 · doi.org/10.25130/tjas.23.2.13Peer-reviewed
11. Effects of sewage water irrigation on heavy metals accumulation in vegetables in peri-urban areas of Faisalabad, PakistanMuhammad Abubakar, Basit Haider, Hadeeqa Arshad, Tufail Shah, Ameer Khan, Hummera Nawaz, et al. · Agricultural Research Reports 3(1):46–57 · 2025 · doi.org/10.54219/arr.03.1.2025.418Peer-reviewed
12. Assessment of the Level of Heavy Metals in Irrigation Water, Farm Soil, and Vegetables Grown in Gobbiya Dam, Bogoro Local Government Area Bauchi State, NigeriaJohn Joseph, Toma Buba, Jalo Enoch, and Ayuba Kaluri · Journal of Energy Technology and Environment 7(4):79–92 · 2025 · doi.org/10.37933/jete/7.4.2025.2568Peer-reviewed
13. Study of Peculiarities of Accumulation of Heavy Metals and Arsenic in Medicinal Plant Raw Materials of Synanthropic Flora of Voronezh RegionNina Alekseevna Dyakova · Khimiya Rastitel’nogo Syr’ya 2:163–170 · 2023 · doi.org/10.14258/jcprm.20230211725Peer-reviewed
14. Yield Assessment of Beetroot and Potato, Cultivated on Ordinary Chernozem Contaminated with Heavy MetalsN. V. Gromakova · Vegetable Crops of Russia 5(38):74–75 · 2017 · doi.org/10.18619/2072-9146-2017-5-74-75Peer-reviewed
15. Removal of Heavy Metals from Industrial Sludge Using Soil Washing TechniqueJ. Sumalatha, B. P. Naveen, and R. K. Malik · Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution 16(3):83–89 · 2019 · doi.org/10.3233/ajw190036Peer-reviewed
16. Analysis of a Wild Leafy Vegetable (Premna latifolia Roxb.) Samples for Essential Trace Elements using ICP - MS TechniqueG. Narayana Murthy and Balarama Swamy Yadav Padala · International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Research 12(2):1–4 · 2024 · doi.org/10.70729/se24205180530Peer-reviewed
17. Bioaccessibility of Heavy Metals in Raw and Processed Alternanthera sessilis and Centella asiatica: An In vitro StudyThilini Kananke, Jagath Wansapala, and Anil Gunarathne · Nature Environment and Pollution Technology25(1):D1830 · 2026 · doi.org/10.46488/nept.2026.v25i01.d1830Peer-reviewed
18. HEAVY METALS ACCUMULATION IN SOIL AND CELERY ROOT (APIUM GRAVEOLENS L.) HARVESTED FROM THE POLLUTED AREAS IN SIBIU COUNTY, CENTRAL ROMANIABogdan Ștefan Oprea, Nicoleta Olimpia Vrînceanu, Dumitru-Marian Motelică, Georgiana Iuliana Plopeanu, Vera Carabulea, and Mihaela Costea · Annals of the University of Craiova—Agriculture,Montanology,Cadastre52(1):422–429 · 2022 · doi.org/10.52846/aamc.v52i1.1370Peer-reviewed
19. Levels of heavy metals concentrations in chocolates from Bwari market Abuja FCT, NigeriaEmmanuel Joy Enogbe and Agbaghare Daniel Enajeme · International Journal of Adulteration9:e2ijad3057 · 2025 · doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v9i10.e2ijad3057Peer-reviewed
20. Assessment of the Risk of Heavy Metals Accumulation in Vegetable CropsVladimir N. Bashkin and Rosa A. Galiulina · Issues of Risk Analysis18(4):48–65 · 2021 · doi.org/10.32686/1812-5220-2021-18-4-48-65Peer-reviewed
21. Application of principal component analysis in the pollution assessment with heavy metals of vegetable food chain in the old mining areasIosif Gergen and Monica Harmanescu · Chemistry Central Journal6:156 · 2012 · doi.org/10.1186/1752-153x-6-156Peer-reviewed
22. Oxidative stress in stingless bees exposed to pesticides and heavy metals: a systematic reviewLaísa Prestes and Denise Cargnelutti · Scientific Electronic Archives19(3):1–9 · 2026 · doi.org/10.36560/19320262200Peer-reviewed

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Additional geographic and remediation evidence

Bayan Rashid Rahim, 2023. Rahim measured lead, cadmium, iron and copper in dried edible broccoli and cauliflower heads grown under three irrigation regimes in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq. The tables preserve crop-specific differences: wastewater-irrigated broccoli had the largest listed values for the four metals, whereas cauliflower cadmium was greatest under alternating irrigation. The paired treatment summaries contribute source-native vegetable occurrence and irrigation-pathway evidence. The dried basis is not interchangeable with fresh vegetables. The experiment is site- and season-specific and does not characterize all river water, all Iraqi produce or long-term dietary exposure.

Muhammad Abubakar, 2025. Abubakar and colleagues measured seven metals in sewage water, soil, spinach and cauliflower at two peri-urban sites in Faisalabad, Pakistan. The paper reports substantial differences between the two crop/site combinations, but its design does not separate plant-species effects from location. Concentrations are retained with the source’s measurement and tissue limitations. These are localized paired environmental and crop measurements, with plant results routed as leafy-tissue evidence. They do not establish a cauliflower-head concentration, a fresh-weight concentration, or a causal reduction in biomass from metal exposure. Industrial source attribution is proposed by the authors, rather than measured by a source-apportionment experiment.

John Joseph, 2025. Joseph and colleagues measured seven metals in kenaf, chili pepper, tomato and spinach plant parts, with associated soil and irrigation water from Gobbiya Dam in Nigeria. The paper separates edible leaves or fruits from roots and stems. Its concentration tables are preserved independently of several inconsistent safety comparisons and a soil-index calculation that uses water standards. The organ-resolved dry-weight values support local occurrence and irrigation-pathway analysis. Roots, stems and non-edible leaves are retained as pathway context rather than assigned to edible-product distributions. Broad leafy-vegetable and herb/spice ingredient routes retain kenaf and chili identity in the structured record without substituting a named cultivar.

Nina Alekseevna Dyakova, 2023. Dyakova compares nine elements in medicinal plant materials collected in disturbed and control environments in Russia’s Voronezh region during 2015–2020. The reported ranges preserve tissue and environmental setting; the paper also proposes regional background means across species. Supports geographic and tissue-specific contamination evidence for botanical raw materials and environmental attribution hypotheses. It does not measure finished supplements or isolate an individual polluter’s causal contribution.

N. V. Gromakova, 2017. A 2015 Rostov-region field experiment measured copper, zinc and lead in beetroot and potato grown on artificially metal-amended chernozem. Adding mineral fertilizer reduced several crop concentrations relative to the metal-only treatment, while yield responses differed between crops. Supports crop-specific agronomic mitigation and soil-to-crop transfer evidence. Artificially amended experimental crops are not a market-occurrence distribution. Paper limit comparisons remain secondary context.

J. Sumalatha, 2019. Column washing of Bangalore-area industrial sludge removed substantially more metals with hydrochloric acid plus EDTA than with distilled water. This is a remediation experiment relevant to sludge contamination pathways, with no measurements in food or a demonstrated safe land-application endpoint. Supports laboratory washing and contaminant-transport comparisons. Metal-rich leachate still requires management; the study does not establish agricultural reuse or field-scale safety.

G. Narayana Murthy, 2024. Premna latifolia leaves collected in three Andhra Pradesh villages had different reported elemental concentrations. Village-specific values are preserved as local leafy-vegetable evidence; the paper supplies no replicate counts or uncertainty estimates. Supports geographic variation in six elements in a specific wild edible leaf. It does not establish nutritional adequacy, safety, or a regional market distribution. The source’s characterization of aluminium as an essential nutrient is not adopted.

Thilini Kananke, 2026. This Sri Lankan study compares elemental concentrations and simulated digestive release in two leafy vegetables across five growing areas. Raw, coconut-milk-cooked and coconut-oil-stir-fried portions were tested separately; lower in-vitro release does not establish lower human absorption or safe consumption. Supports region-specific leafy-vegetable occurrence and cooking/bioaccessibility comparisons. Processing effects are not uniform: for example Wellampitiya A. sessilis gastric Pb is 15.3% raw and 20.7% cooked. Coconut additions can change the matrix; an in-vitro endpoint is not in-vivo absorption.

Bogdan Ștefan Oprea, 2022. Celery roots and garden soils from 26 households in a historically polluted Romanian area showed wide cadmium and lead variation in 2021–2022. Soil results use dry weight, while edible celeriac results use fresh weight; these paired measurements preserve a legacy-contamination pathway without assigning sole liability to any facility. Supports historical industrial-burden and present edible-root occurrence evidence. Celery here is celeriac, not stalk celery; product routing is root/tuber vegetables. Geographic sampling is targeted to a polluted area and is not a national market sample.

Emmanuel Joy Enogbe, 2025. Two anonymous chocolate products from Bwari market contained measurable nickel, iron, copper, chromium and lead. Their reported sample concentrations are preserved independently of inconsistent dispersion, intake means and safety comparisons in the paper. Provides a small local occurrence observation with anonymous products. It cannot establish market prevalence, source attribution, or a no-risk conclusion. Total Cr is not Cr(VI).

Vladimir N. Bashkin, 2021. Bashkin and Galiulina review vegetable-associated metal exposure assessment and microbial/agronomic risk-management approaches. Chinese and Russian case-study values are secondary reports; they remain traceable to the cited studies and are not counted as new independent occurrence samples. Supports exposure-method and remediation literature discovery. Bacterial effects can increase as well as decrease uptake depending on organism, metal and plant; the review does not establish a universal inoculant intervention. Secondary model outputs are not contemporary health or certification thresholds.

Iosif Gergen, 2012. Gergen and Harmanescu analyze metal contamination patterns across two historic Romanian mining areas and a reference area. Their PCA study reproduces vegetable concentrations and male hazard quotients from the earlier Harmanescu 2011 study; these remain linked secondary observations rather than additional independent samples. Supports legacy mining and tissue/region differences. Parsley root and leaf remain distinct, as do carrot root and leaf. The fresh-matter food table is retained with cohort linkage so that a reanalysis cannot inflate the evidence pool. Source THQ rankings are model results, not clinical outcomes.

Laísa Prestes, 2026. This review synthesizes oxidative-stress and physiological responses to pesticides and heavy metals in stingless bees. Its copper-sulfate evidence concerns laboratory bee exposure and pollinator health; it supplies no honey concentration or human exposure measurement. Supports pollinator ecotoxicology and metal/pesticide stress-pathway context. Reported copper effects include mortality, locomotion, midgut damage and oxidative/apoptotic responses; do not extrapolate these endpoints to human health or honey contamination.