coppertalk

By Joe Gorsuch, Copper Development Association Inc. Manager of Health & Environmental Sciences

Joe Gorsuch works with environmental regulations and the collection of ecotox data.  For 30 years prior to joining the CDA in March, 2009, he worked with Kodak, conducting environmental effects and fate field and lab studies to register chemicals for the photographic industry.  From 2005 to 2009 he was President and Owner of Gorsuch Environmental Managements Services, Inc. [GEMS, Inc.] coordinating environmental studies.  He holds an undergraduate degree in Wildlife Biology and a master’s degree in Environmental Sciences, focusing on Aquatic Toxicology, both from Purdue University. 

You hear a lot these days about harmful substances in our environment.  The field that evaluates the effects of chemical substances in the environment is called environmental toxicology (also called ecotoxicity or ecotox).  Toxicology is the study of the effects of a chemical or a contaminant on an organism, and the “eco” refers to the environment.  Some people assume that any copper in the environment is harmful, probably because of stories about mercury or some pesticides.  So when news gets out there without the proper understanding of the science, it can cause unnecessary alarm. 

Copper itself is not a contaminant.  In fact, it’s essential to many forms of life, like plants, animals and humans, but in certain amounts and in certain circumstances it can be potentially harmful.  That is generally true of everything: too much can be harmful. A good analogy is insulin and the human body.  Everyone needs insulin to function.  But for some people, the wrong amount of insulin can be dangerous.  So for those individuals it’s important to test and monitor insulin levels constantly to maintain optimum levels for health.  It’s the same with copper in the environment.  I coordinate studies that collect ecotox data for the CDA.  The world-class international researchers and I evaluate the bioavailability of copper (“bioavailability” refers to the ability of an organism to absorb it) to aquatic organisms in various environments in order to understand which concentrations under certain circumstances may be harmful and which are harmless.  The form of copper that is considered toxic to plants and aquatic animals is the copper ion, which in natural environments is generally bound to sulfide, chloride or organic matter, rendering it less toxic and less bioavailable.  So knowing the form of copper in the environment is critical when determining the risk it may pose to organisms.

In conducting and evaluating this research, the CDA works collaboratively with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  All the research findings, including the data that may not be viewed as beneficial to us, are summarized and published, and eventually become part of the public domain.  A finding that implies copper may be the cause of a problem is further studied to determine the facts and circumstances or mechanisms, and the results are published. As a father and grandfather, I’m concerned about preserving the environment and health of our ecosystem and community.  I enjoy knowing that my role at the CDA helps make a difference.