Copper concentrations in tap water and possible effects on infant's health--results of a study in Lower Saxony, Germany.

Copper in drinking water has been associated with non-Indian childhood cirrhosis (NICC), a form of liver cirrhosis in childhood. This epidemiological study examines the exposure of infants to increased copper concentrations through drinking water from public water supplies in southern Lower Saxony, Germany, and whether this dietary copper intake causes liver damage in early childhood. In total, water samples from 1674 households with infants were tested for copper. The mean copper concentration was 0.18 mg/L in the 1619 collected stagnation samples and 0.11 mg/L in the 1660 random daytime samples. There were notable regional differences in copper values. In 10.3% of all sampled households a copper value of 0.5 mg/L or more was found. These families were requested to additionally collect 2 composite samples. An increased level of copper in the drinking water with copper concentrations at or above 0.8 mg/L in the composite samples and a defined minimum ingestion of tap water was followed by a recommendation of a pediatric examination. Fourteen infants were examined by a pediatrician and of these 11 received a blood serum analysis. None of the examined infants showed any signs of liver malfunction. From the results of the study, no indication of a hazard due to copper pipes connected to public water supplies could be found.