Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-03
USE OF COPPER URGED
BULLETIN ISSUED BY AGRICUL-
TURAL DEPARTMENT.
Extensive Investigations Conducted by
DR.. Moore and Mr.. KEEL
lerman.


charge of the labratory of plant physiology
Department of Agriculture, and Karl F.
KeIlerman his assistant announced to the
world that the use of copper. either sui
phate or metallic would purify water and
| destroy poluting germs. The idea was not
| well received by some scientists, and since
| that time these two officials have conducted
| extensive investigations at more than fifty
| reservoirs, with the result that, in bulle-
! tin issued today the position of the depart
ment is reiterated and the use of copper
again urged.
The conclusions reached are summarized
in the bulletin as follows:
Conclusions Summarized.
Much less copper is required to eradicate
algae from reservoirs than would be neces-
sary to destroy algae under laboratory con-
| ditions.
THE effect of this metal upon fish is of
considerable Importance and requires more
study.
THE physical and chemical constitution
| of a water are factors to be considered in
determining the quantity of copper sulphate
| to in water supply.
| THE elimination of polluting forms some
| times makes possible the development of
| other species. but so far these species have
| never been the cause of complaint
LAS a result of the sudden destruction of
| great numbers of pollutng algae for a few
days Immediately after treatment of wa
| ter supply there is sometimes an Increase
| in odor and taste.
THE of copper is an efficient emer-
gency method for steriizng water contami-
mated with the bacillus of typhoid fever.
Metallic copper offers a convenient and
efficient means of sterilzing small amounts
of water.
Copper may be useful in the proper dis
posal of sewage.
Copper is of great value as a supplement
to filtration in case of accident or misman-
agement.
per poisoning, and many of the best au-
thorltles do not consider copper a true poi
son. 1t is natural constituent of the body,
and In small quantities has no effect upon
man.
Copper is widely distributed and occurs
In nearly all articles of food.
Many foreign countries officially recog
nlZe the harmlessness of copper
While the effect of copper sulphate in re
moving and preventing algae Is regarded
as important. the use of the compound in
purifying water contaminated with typhoid
fever bacteria has attracted more attention
and in many cities, including Washington,
the result of experiments is being watched
closely with view of possible adoption.
Filtration Not Sure Prevention.
The bulletin continues:
1t appears from the examination of a
considera BILE number of filters in this coun-
try that the officials in charge of municipal
water works are not justified in assuming
that filtration is the absolute guarantee
against a disease-laden water that it is
popularity supposed to be. The number of
unavoidable accidents which are known to
occur IN properly managed filters, to say
nothing of the wllful and sometimes Grim
inal methods resorted to in order to bring
the supply of water up to the daily de-
mand, are factors which are not generally
considered by the public.
At the present time the only known
method of Immediately rendering a con-
tamnated water supply safe and keeping
1t SO until the source of pollution is re-
moved seems to be the of copper. This
treatment is not designed to supplant eff
cient filtration, however, and should never
be expected to take its place. The use of
copper for removing a temporary contain
ination is necessarily remedy, and should
be used as such.
Sewage Disposal.
1.-The existing methods of sewage dis
posal and water publication are particu-
larly unfortunate. To deliberately contain
mate water and then try TO purify it
seems ridiculous, yet this is precisely what
is now being done in number of COM
munities. The ultimate solution of the
problem of water supply must depend upon
proper sewage disposal, as well as the
proper care and policing of the water
sheds and wells. Until this revolution of
methods shall have taken place the make
shifts-fltration and treating with copper
are the only remedies applicable on large
scale.
THE effect of metallic copper upon bacil-
lus typhi in water is of considerable i'm
portance. For small amounts of water It
has been found convenient and desirable
in many cases to guard against bacterial
contamination by the use of copper tanks
and where frequent boiling cannot be re-
sorted to the use of copper may be re-
garded as the only possible safeguard. In
some cases this may not be absolute, for
our experiments upon water from various
places and the experiments of other in
vestigators show that the chemical con-
stitution of the water under consideration
is of the greatest Importance Water that
contains a very large amount of matter IN
suspension is perhaps the most difficult to
sterilize.'