Copper in construction products – new report
A report by the IVL Swedish Environmental Institute, commissioned by Basta, states that in certain watercourses and soils, increased levels of copper in the environment are observed in comparison to the limit values.
This cannot be said to be a general problem but varies across the country due to many factors.
Copper is spread to the environment from several sources, where the largest general source of air diffusion is the traffic caused by copper in brake pads, and the largest general sources of water are sewage treatment plants and the paper and pulp industry. Spread from construction products such as pipelines and copper materials in facades and ceilings is often done through wastewater and water.
A conclusion from the report is that Basta, which is a national system, currently does not see grounds for limiting copper in construction products. In environments with elevated copper levels, there may be reason to locally review restrictions on copper content in construction products.
Copper in construction products -C269 (in Swedish with English summary)