The Fate of Copper Added to Surface Water: Field, Laboratory, and Modeling Studies

The fate and effects of copper in the environment are governed by a complex set of environmental processes that include binding to inorganic and organic ligands in water, soil, and sediments. In natural waters, these interactions can limit copper bioavailability and result in copper transport from the water column to the sediment. In the present study, data on the fate of copper added to lakes, microcosms, and mesocosms were compiled and analyzed to determine copper removal rates from the water column. Studies on copper behavior in sediment were also reviewed to assess the potential for remobilization. A previously developed, screening‐level fate and transport model (tableau input coupled kinetic equilibrium transport–unit world model [TICKET–UWM]) was parameterized and applied to quantify copper removal rates and remobilization in a standardized lake setting. Field and modeling results were reconciled within a framework that links copper removal rates to lake depths and solids fluxes. The results of these analyses provide converging evidence that, on a large scale, copper is removed relatively quickly from natural waters. For the majority of studies examined, more than 70% of the added copper was removed from the water column within 16 d of dosing. This information may be useful in the context of environmental hazard and risk assessment of copper. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:1386‒1399. © 2019 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC.