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Storing Drinking-Water in Copper Pots Kills Contaminating Bacteria (2012)

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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Re: Storing Drinking-Water in Copper Pots Kills Contaminating Bacteria (2012)

#91
post #2

I will just leave it here in case someone will want to employ copper pots: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10383875

I store filtered drinking water in various plastic containers (often used juice bottles or the bottles that I boght store-bought water in). I wonder how health effects from the chemicals leeching in to my water from these plastic containers compare with the health effects from using copper containers, or perhaps ceramic/porcelain containers as those are supposed to be non-reactive.

drop me a line at gmail, if you have the time.

Re: Storing Drinking-Water in Copper Pots Kills Contaminating Bacteria (2012)

#92
post #2

I will just leave it here in case someone will want to employ copper pots: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10383875

Copper pots are used for cooking because of the superior heat transfer, but you are not cooking with copper directly. They are "tinned", and this coating needs upkeep. You can't really cook with it directly because it's too reactive with acidic foods.

Re: Storing Drinking-Water in Copper Pots Kills Contaminating Bacteria (2012)

#93
post #37

Using copper vessels to store water for drinking is somewhat common in parts of India. Seen it in Maharashtra. Lead vessels were traditionally used (and may still be) to make certain dishes (like rasam, a watery lentil-based sour soup) in South India. No idea about any benefits or the reverse. Update: Also, I've seen relatives of the previous generation to mine (in India), sometimes eating from silver plates. Not sur…

Just as a PSA, lead in any quantity is toxic and particularly so for children. Copper, silver, and gold are in the same family of elements (group 11) and lead is in the carbon family. Very different characteristics. edit: I should also note (since bringing up families of elements) that - supporting your anecdote - silver has known and studied antimicrobial properties ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16766878 ).…

Copper, silver, and gold are also toxic in high doses but not in the same extreme way as lead, which should be kept as close to zero as possible.

Re: Storing Drinking-Water in Copper Pots Kills Contaminating Bacteria (2012)

#94
post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do that too, sometimes, particularly when on trips in rural / forest areas / resorts (refill the plastic bottle at the camp place or resort's restaurant with filtered water from a water purifier) but as a heuristic, to mitigate any possible effects of the plastic chemicals, I throw away the bottle after a week or two.

Doesn't that do the opposite of what you intend? I imagine plastic stuff obviously leaching at a decaying rate.

Interesting point, hadn't thought of it in that way. My "logic" was (though not thought through rigorously) something like this, maybe: the plastic may decay more with time and with handling and exposure to sunlight, hence throw the bottle after a week.

Re: Storing Drinking-Water in Copper Pots Kills Contaminating Bacteria (2012)

#95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just as a PSA, lead in any quantity is toxic and particularly so for children. Copper, silver, and gold are in the same family of elements (group 11) and lead is in the carbon family. Very different characteristics. edit: I should also note (since bringing up families of elements) that - supporting your anecdote - silver has known and studied antimicrobial properties ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16766878 ).…

Copper, silver, and gold are also toxic in high doses but not in the same extreme way as lead, which should be kept as close to zero as possible.

Gold... toxic?

Re: Storing Drinking-Water in Copper Pots Kills Contaminating Bacteria (2012)

#96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just as a PSA, lead in any quantity is toxic and particularly so for children. Copper, silver, and gold are in the same family of elements (group 11) and lead is in the carbon family. Very different characteristics. edit: I should also note (since bringing up families of elements) that - supporting your anecdote - silver has known and studied antimicrobial properties ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16766878 ).…

Copper, silver, and gold are also toxic in high doses but not in the same extreme way as lead, which should be kept as close to zero as possible.

Yes, empirically, I guess at least gold cannot be too or immediately toxic, since thin gold leaf is sometimes put on sweets as a decoration in India - usually on peda kind of sweets:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peda

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vark

Silver too, according to the above page.

Re: Storing Drinking-Water in Copper Pots Kills Contaminating Bacteria (2012)

#97
post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just as a PSA, lead in any quantity is toxic and particularly so for children. Copper, silver, and gold are in the same family of elements (group 11) and lead is in the carbon family. Very different characteristics. edit: I should also note (since bringing up families of elements) that - supporting your anecdote - silver has known and studied antimicrobial properties ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16766878 ).…

Thanks for the info. Yes, I've read about leaded petrol and its effects on the brain, more so in children. I even read somewhere a while ago (maybe on HN) that crime had come down somewhat over some decades (in the US?), which was partly attributed (in the article I read) to reduced use of leaded petrol (gasoline). Interesting about the silver study, and agree about quacks.

Interestingly, the guy (Thomas Midgley) who thought to add lead to petrol is the same guy who thought of using CFCs for refrigerants.

Re: Storing Drinking-Water in Copper Pots Kills Contaminating Bacteria (2012)

#98
post #37

Using copper vessels to store water for drinking is somewhat common in parts of India. Seen it in Maharashtra. Lead vessels were traditionally used (and may still be) to make certain dishes (like rasam, a watery lentil-based sour soup) in South India. No idea about any benefits or the reverse. Update: Also, I've seen relatives of the previous generation to mine (in India), sometimes eating from silver plates. Not sur…

Varg Vikernes (author of Burzum) mentioned that European barbarians used to clean water by letting it stand in a copper vessel over night. The custom of throwing coins into sources or wells might come from this pagan tradition.

Never thought I would see Burzum mentioned on here, that's hilarious. Did a double take when I saw the name

Re: Storing Drinking-Water in Copper Pots Kills Contaminating Bacteria (2012)

#99
post #37

Using copper vessels to store water for drinking is somewhat common in parts of India. Seen it in Maharashtra. Lead vessels were traditionally used (and may still be) to make certain dishes (like rasam, a watery lentil-based sour soup) in South India. No idea about any benefits or the reverse. Update: Also, I've seen relatives of the previous generation to mine (in India), sometimes eating from silver plates. Not sur…

Varg Vikernes (author of Burzum) mentioned that European barbarians used to clean water by letting it stand in a copper vessel over night. The custom of throwing coins into sources or wells might come from this pagan tradition.

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