Did you know that …
… Copper is an elementary component of the earth’s crust?
The copper content of the earth’s crust averages about 0.006 percent. All soils contain copper, even if sometimes only in low concentrations.
… copper has been in use for more than 10,000 years ? The oldest known piece of jewelry – a pair of copper earrings – dates back to the Neolithic Age.
… the Colossus of Rhodes was made of copper ? … and that the ancient Egyptians used copper for their water pipes ?
… copper and tin are easy to combine ? this discovery gave its name to an entire epoch: the Bronze Age. Incidentally, copper and zinc combine to form brass !
… the name “copper” is derived from the island of Cyprus ? In ancient times, it supplied Rome, Greece and other Mediterranean countries with the red metal. The Romans then called this extremely useful material “ore from Cyprus”, in Latin “aes cyprium”, later it became “cuprum” and finally “copper”.
… copper conducts heat and electricity better than almost any other metal ?
… without copper, computer technology would not be possible ? copper is also indispensable in other modern communication technologies, in telecommunications, television and cell phones.
… there is an average of 100 mg of copper in the adult human organism ? Primarily in the skeleton, but also in the muscles, internal organs and brain.
… copper has a strong germicidal effect ? The holy water basins in churches and the kettles in breweries have long benefited from this.
… a copper penny in irrigation water is extremely good for plants and keeps cut flowers fresh for longer ?
… copper inhibits the growth of legionella bacteria ? the pathogens that cause the dangerous legionnaires’ disease enter the lungs via tiny droplets of water and can lead to fatal infections. Studies have shown that the concentration of legionella in copper pipes is ten times lower than in plastic pipes.
… a 100 g bar of milk chocolate contains 12 mg of copper? This corresponds to about ten times the daily requirement – harmless, because too much copper ingested with food is excreted again.
… without copper our blood cells would be pretty colorless ? To date, 16 copper-containing enzymes are known. They are all involved in the formation of red blood cells and help to incorporate iron into the red blood pigment, haemoglobin.
… global copper deposits are not decreasing but increasing? One reason for this is the constant discovery of new deposits. The continuous development of mining and extraction techniques is also leading to an increase in economically exploitable raw material reserves.
… more than 80 percent of the copper ever mined is still in circulation today ? The ancient Egyptians honored the metal with the “Ankh symbol”. It means “eternal life”. A fitting name because the metal is fully recyclable and can be remelted as often as required. Somewhere in the world, therefore, there is certainly still copper, which was already in use in ancient Egypt!
If you want to get your copper from food, you have a choice: copper can be found in nuts, pulses, cereals, potatoes, mushrooms, liver, kidneys, fish, crustaceans, avocados, beans and garlic. And if you have a craving for chocolate again, you should take comfort in the fact that the sweet treat contains a lion’s share of copper – and is therefore healthy despite all the calories!
