Risks Associated with Copper Wire

Although copper wire is the most extensively used material in electrical industries, the negative effects and health risks it possesses are also very higher. Copper is a naturally occurring mineral which is very extensive in use today due to its electrical and mechanical properties. With its exceptional features like conduction properties, cheap prices, ductility etc. Copper wire use is on the rise, along with its possible health risks.

Exposure to environment: Copper is constantly being mined due to the rising demand of copper wire from electrical industries. It results in a significant increase of copper in environmental areas. Rivers and bodies of water are prime areas where copper can end up. Wastewater containing copper must be disposed of during the process of turning natural copper into usable copper; therefore, much of this waste ends up in naturally-occurring bodies of water.
Creating usable copper also requires the combustion of fossil fuels, which results in copper being released into the atmosphere. The copper returns to earth after it rains and once again ends up in the ground.

Soil

Copper is dangerous in soil due to its tendency to attach to minerals and organic matter. Its lack of ability to breakdown means that over time it can become prevalent in plants and animals. Far fewer plants can grow in copper-rich soil, creating a change in eco-diversity. Copper has been shown to influence microorganisms found within soil, which results in a much slower decomposition of organic matter.

Farmland suffers significantly due to the copper that is present in fertilizers. Animals that absorb the added concentrations of copper suffer health damage. The negative effects on humans are, as of yet, merely projected, but significant research has not been completed.

Short-Term Exposure

The absorption of copper in extremely small amounts is perfectly normal and humans are even shown to be able to handle larger-sized quantities; however, overexposure to large amounts of copper is shown to result in side effects. Very few people receive overexposure to copper; however, metal fever, a sickness with flu-like symptoms, is caused by copper overexposure.

Long-Term Exposure

Solid studies about long-term copper exposure are rare in number. However, what is known is that continuous copper exposure can result in many conditions. These include constant irritation to the eyes, stomach, nose, and mouth---much like allergies. Exposure to copper-fumes has been shown to alter nasal mucous membranes. Copper poisoning can turn into Wilson's disease, which causes a number of problems, including brain damage, cornea problems, renal disease, and cirrhosis. Copper has been linked to changes in the brain as well. It has been suggested that overexposure to copper can result in lower intelligence in developing youth.

Copper Wires – An Important Product for Industrial Revolution

We hardly ever pause to wonder the significance of the dull colored wire that we get in our homes. Copper wire must be the most important wire for industrial revolution mostly because of its use in electrical and electronic works. You get many variations of copper wires or cables made out of them like PVC wires, armoured cables, tinsel copper wire, flat copper wire, copper strip, copper wire gauge, jumper wire and braided copper wires which are manufactured differently for being put to different use.

Copper wire’s main use is electrical for which electrolyte copper wire has special significance because it is the purest variety of copper wire. This wire becomes the raw material for the cable industries. The features of copper wires that make it such a preferable over other metals are its electricity conduction and the ability of being made flexible through tin coating. Tin coated copper wire is used in manufacturing of many types of cables, industrial machines, heaters, high temperature instruments or similar uses. The two processes involved in tin coating of the copper wires is the electrolytic process followed by the hot dip process. These two processes are carried out after annealing of the wires.

Copper strip is used for reduce wastage, resist corrosion and thereby improve production of the automatic machines. These are especially useful in places where the soil content does not comprise of a great proportion of salt. Another very important variety of copper wire which is a boon to the telecommunication industry is the Tinsel copper wire. It is specially designed to be durable. It is manufactured by many strands of thin copper foil on a textile core.

We can understand the serious impact copper wires are having on our lives after being put to different uses. It use in wires of electrical like electrical wiring in homes or in any electronic appliance like the receiver of the phone or your television or radio render it a paramount significance when compared with relatively other metals. The copper wire manufacturers are doing a thankless task of turning out these wires for us. Their up to date machinery and professionals deserve special thanks from all of us who don’t even think twice when enjoying the benefits of electricity and electronic products. The copper wire manufacturers or copper wire exporters on the other hand should ensure that all the industry standards for their products are satisfactorily met.