High concentrations of copper may be found in soil because dust from these industries settles out of the air, or waste from mining and other copper industries are disposed of on the soil. Another common source of copper in soil results from spreading sludge from sewage treatment plants. This copper generally stays strongly attached to the surface layer of soil. You may be exposed to this copper by skin contact. Children may also be exposed to this copper by eating the dirt.
Food naturally contains copper.
Copper is necessary in your diet for good health. We also do not know what form it is in at most of these sites. However, evidence suggests that most copper at these sites is strongly attached to soil. You may be exposed to copper in the workplace. If you work in mining copper or processing the ore, you may be exposed to copper by breathing copper-containing dust or by skin contact.