Copper Sulfate

About This Product

Copper sulfate is usually supplied as the pentahydrate, CuSO4.5H2O with CAS number 7758-99-8, in the form of bright blue crystals, granules or powder, freely soluble in water. The anhydrous form is a white powder that turns blue on contact with moisture, which is the basis of its classical use as a water test. Its biological activity comes from the copper ion. Copper binds to thiol groups in enzymes and disrupts protein function, which makes it toxic to algae, fungi and molluscs at low concentration. That is the basis of its use as an algaecide in reservoirs and ponds, as a molluscicide, and as the copper component of Bordeaux mixture, the copper sulfate and lime formulation that has been used against vine and potato blight since the nineteenth century. The same mechanism makes it dangerous to non-target organisms: it is highly toxic to fish and aquatic invertebrates, and copper accumulates in soil and sediment rather than degrading, so repeated application builds residues. It is also used in electroplating and as a trace element in animal feed, where copper is an essential micronutrient at low dose. It is used in algaecides and aquatic treatment, agricultural fungicides, animal feed micronutrients, electroplating, mining flotation and timber preservation. Bio Green Chem supplies copper sulfate to specification on copper content, iron, insolubles, acidity, particle size and heavy metals.