VDI 2310 Blatt 38:2008-12 (R2013)

The maximum immission levels (MI) for copper listed below are designed to protect livestock. They are derived from long-term experiments to determine dose-time-response relationships in farm animals. Consequently immission levels for copper can only be determined for those animals for which experimental data is available. According to current knowledge, the levels listed below, even after long-term uptake, have no adverse effects on the health and performance of livestock and do not lead to any dangerous contamination of food produced from these animals. Therefore there are no concerns that the consumption of these foods will be harmful to human health. The MI levels are valid for the animal species specified, provided that the usual conditions of feeding and husbandry apply. A shortage of minerals, other trace elements, vitamins or other essential fodder ingredients can increase the animals´ susceptibility to copper. The combined effects of copper with other heavy metals or air pollutants can be considered only to a limited extent due to a lack of information.