Aquatic Life Criteria - Copper

• What is Copper?
• How does Copper Enter Surface Water?
• How does Copper Affect Aquatic Life?
• Copper Criteria
  • 2007 Freshwater Copper Criteria Update

What is Copper?

Copper is an abundant trace element that occurs naturally in the Earth’s crust and surface waters. Copper can be found as a pure metal in nature and has a high thermal and electrical conductivity. Copper compounds are generally found as copper (II) salts.

How does Copper Enter Surface Water?

Copper is commonly found in aquatic systems as a result of both natural and anthropogenic sources. Natural sources of copper in aquatic systems include geological deposits, volcanic activity, and weathering and erosion of rocks and soils. Anthropogenic sources of copper include mining activities, agriculture, metal and electrical manufacturing, sludge from publicly-owned treatment works (POTWs), pesticide use and more. A major source of copper in the marine environment is antifouling paints, used as coatings for ship hulls, buoys, and underwater surfaces, and as a contaminant from decking, pilings and some marine structures that used chromated copper arsenate (CCA) treated timbers.

How does Copper Affect Aquatic Life?

Copper is an essential nutrient at low concentrations, but is toxic to aquatic organisms at higher concentrations. In addition to acute effects such as mortality, chronic exposure to copper can lead to adverse effects on survival, growth, reproduction as well as alterations of brain function, enzyme activity, blood chemistry, and metabolism.

Copper Criteria

2007 Freshwater Copper Criteria Update

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a revised national recommended freshwater aquatic life criterion for copper (Aquatic Life Ambient Freshwater Quality Criteria—Copper 2007 Revision). As a companion to the criteria document, the EPA also released documents to supplement training materials and help states, Tribes, permittees, and other interested stakeholders on implementing the nationally recommended criteria.

• Aquatic Life Ambient Freshwater Quality Criteria for Copper - 2007 Revision (pdf) (2.07 MB, February 2007, EPA-822-R-07-001)
  • Fact Sheet: Aquatic Life Ambient Freshwater Quality Criteria for Copper - 2007 Revision
  • Federal Register Notice: Aquatic Life Ambient Freshwater Quality Criteria for Copper - 2007 Revision (February 22, 2007)
  • Supplementary Training Materials about the Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Copper
  • Supplementary information relevant to assessing data needed for inputs to the BLM -  Spatial Trends in Water Chemistry and the Biotic Ligand Model (pdf) (190.69 KB)
  • For a copy of the 2007 BLM file please contact Luis Cruz, PhD (cruz.luis@epa.gov)
    Note: This does not replace the EPA's guidance materials on implementing the BLM.