A naturally occurring reddish metal that appears in rock, water, soil, sediment and in the air, copper has unique physical properties which make it perhaps one of the most commonly used and important metals. You can find copper in pennies, as part of electrical wiring systems, and in plumbing. You can also find it used in some pesticides and algaecides.

As humans we require a minute amount of copper to live, but as with anything, too much copper in a short period of time and prolonged exposure to excess copper can have detrimental effects on our health.

For that reason health officials suggest testing your drinking water for copper, and other things obviously, on a semi-regular basis… especially if you live in an older home, in an area that has older water delivery lines, or if you have well water.

How can you test for copper?

Previously you would have to use a test kit that used drops, tablets, powders, etc. or have your water tested by a water testing laboratory. As usual we suggest that people use water testing labs if they have serious reason to suspect drinking water contamination and that owners of wells have their water tested by a certified water testing lab at least once a year, for occasional testing needs you can use copper test strips such as the John’s Copper product manufactured by SenSafe.

If you think you may have a need to test your water for copper, then you may also want to test for other metals such as iron, manganese, mercury, and lead.

A test kit such as the Well Driller Master Test Kit has all those tests and more.

Ann Arbor, Michigan, September 21, 2009 — Adeona Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AMEX: AEN), a specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to the awareness, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of zinc deficiency and chronic copper toxicity in the mature population, today announced that for World Alzheimer’s Day it is providing 10,000 tap water copper test cards free of any charge. ( source )

Medical and health professionals agree that excessive exposure to heavy metals such as copper, mercury, lead, chromium, and manganese causes irreparable damage to the human body.

In the case of copper, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has established the upper limit for copper in drinking water at 1.3 mg/L (or parts per million). Other metals have higher or lower maximum contaminant levels depending upon their suspected toxicity levels.

Chronic exposure to copper from drinking water has been shown to promote Alzheimer’s-like pathology and memory deficits in animals at less than 1/10th of the current E.P.A. limit of 1.3 mg/L. In a study involving over 3,700 residents of Chicago over age 65, copper intake was linked to increased rates of cognitive decline. Copper plumbing is used in approximately 90% of homes in the U.S. and thus 90% of the adult U.S. population is at risk for the health effects of chronic soluble copper exposure. ( source )

All of us connected to Water Testing Blog applaud Adeona’s generous offer of free copper test cards. We wish more companies would take similar initiative when it comes to educating the public.

Easy Test Method for Detecting Copper in Drinking Water:

We have not yet seen the copper test card offered by Adeona but we did note their claim of having an easier and more sensitive test kit than other commercially available copper test kits. Their test kit supposedly has an accurate lower detection limit of 0.010 ppm and takes a full 24 hours to complete.

Unlike most commercially available copper test kits, the tap water copper test card developed by Adeona and offered through Adeona’s HealthMine subsidiary is an at-home test that combines high sensitivity with ease of use. ( source )

Providing their testing method works as well as they claim, we commend their copper test card’s ability to detect copper in water at that low a level — even if it does take a full 24 hours to complete the testing.

For those who would like to perform faster copper in water testing, without having to mess around with tablets or messy drop kits, we suggest looking into the John’s Copper Test Strips which have a lower detection level of 0.050 ppm and provide relaible results in under a minute.

Other Information on Copper in Water Testing:

• Contaminated Drinking Water in Schools Across the Country
• Copper in Pool Water: Where Did It Come From?
• Copper in Drinking Water Information
• Metals in Water: Is Boiling a Solution?
• Copper in Pool Water