Exposure of man to environmental copper--an exposure commitment assessment.

Copper, an essential element for man, is widespread in the environment and is released from both natural and anthropogenic sources. A summary of representative values of copper concentrations in environmental media is presented and a pathways analysis performed utilizing the exposure commitment method. The assessment indicates that an average dietary intake rate of 2 mg day-1 contributes 630 micrograms kg-1 of copper to the body, while inhalation of copper in air (0.05 micrograms m-3 in urban air and 0.02 micrograms m-3 in rural air) makes, in comparison, a negligible contribution to the body content.