Copper is naturally present in the aquatic environment, but can also be released to it as a consequence of industrial manufacturing, consumer use and recycling. In Europe, the risks posed by copper to the aquatic environment are managed by legislation including REACH and the Water Framework Directive.
Accounting for the bioavailability of copper, using techniques such as the Biotic Ligand Model, resolves many of the difficulties.
We invite you to visit bio-met.net, a free online resource for anybody interested in using bioavailability-based approaches for assessing the risk of copper in the freshwater aquatic environment, particularly within the EU Water Framework Directive. This is a collaborative initiative led by the European Copper Institute, International Zinc Association and the Nickel Producers Environmental Research Association (NiPERA).
Effects Based Methods are a promising new way of considering chemical substances under the Water Framework Directive. This report evaluates the Effects Based Methods that might be useful for metals.