Desinfecting water with iodine

S

superc0ntra

Joined
Sep 19, 2007
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I have a hard time getting hold of water purification tablets but can get iodine at the local pharmacy.
How much iodine is needed per gallon of water.
 
I'm a little sketchy about the iodine purification method... some people use it alot but I prefer boiling to anyh other filtration method, and it is the obnly way to get get rid of everything.... if you're looking for something to throw in your kit.. get one of those heavy foil mini loaf pans for about a buck at your grocwery store they fold down real easy and can boil water that throw a few coffee filiter in a xiplock to filter out particulate matter and you are good to go... perhaps others can give you better info on iodine.
 
With 2% Tincture of Iodine you have your options. The normal dose is 5 drops per quart/liter of water, mix well and let it stand for at least a half hour. You can do the math from there.

If the water is cloudy or cold or from a questionable location (judgement call here), you can double the dose in terms of drops and time exposure. That would be 10 drops per quart/liter and an hour wait to be safe.

If you want to increase the effectiveness of the iodine and improve the taste of the water then you can pre filter the water through any medium that will remove suspended material.

Iodine reacts to starch (Iodine drops, pills, and Polar Pure, all the same thing). Starchy food will turn blue if you mix it with iodine water. To avoid this after you have waited the half hour/hour then mix in a little ascorbic acid (Vitamin C). This will make the iodine both clear and tasteless but also stop it from killing anything else in the water so make sure you wait before doing this.
Mac
 
If you are in camp and you have large pots and ample fuel supply to boil water with, then I would go that route.

But, if you are out on the trail and traveling light, iodine makes the most sense, and is the most time efficient. Just get some of the tablets, that come with neutralizer. Two tablets per quart for something like half an hour, then throw in a neutralizer tablet and the taste really improves!

Even if you use a filter, the filter is going to have to contain iodine if you are going to get everything...so why not just use iodine to start with???
 
Have you considered ordering online? Have your local stores switched from Iodine to another treatment method (most of the local stores switched to Pristine drops (http://www.pristine.ca/) or to one of several portable filters, both of which seem to work reasonably well).
 
reconranger said:
Even if you use a filter, the filter is going to have to contain iodine if you are going to get everything...so why not just use iodine to start with???
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Most filters take everything out short of viruses that for the most part dont exist in North American water. Iodine is used after filtering for those phantom viruses.

People like filters as they dont have to chew their water.

Iodine is convenient and cheap agreed.

Skam
 
I'm an immunologist, and you are quite welcome to take your chances with those imaginary viruses, but I'll pass those up...thanks. We make big $$$, diagnosing folks who imagine they are indestructible!
 
reconranger said:
I'm an immunologist, and you are quite welcome to take your chances with those imaginary viruses, but I'll pass those up...thanks. We make big $$$, diagnosing folks who imagine they are indestructible!
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Fair enough.
Point me to a viral infection proven due to consuming water from a wild flowing natural source. There is almost no data supporting this.

Fact is there is nearly no viral contamination of our water sources. There have been and will be in the future viral illnesses here but you better buy a powerball lottery ticket as its your day. The environment just wont allow systemic contamination.

Makes for good marketing though.

Bacteria and foreign travel is a different story of course.

Skam
 
Carefull how you pack the stuff, mine leaked out of the bottle,seaped through my pack and burnt my back !!!!
 
Povidone-Iodine (PVPI) 10% is the business. At the pharmacy it's often called Betadine, super cheap.

Pre-filter the water first to get rid of the larger nasties (a good enough filter will take care of bacteria and cysts so you're just left with the virii to nuke),

4-5 drops of 10% PVPI per litre/quart (or 10-12 drops if you could only find 4% PVPI), leave covered for half an hour, neutralise with a quarter of a crushed-up vitamin C tablet, enjoy.

Common household bleach (sodium hypochlorite) at 3%-6% is another great cheap wee-beastie-murderer. 2-4 drops per litre/quart. leave covered for the first half hour, uncover it afterwards to help the smell and taste dissipate a little.

Boiling the water at a rolling boil for 5 minutes works too, but it can be a big waste of fuel and time if you need to generate lots of clean water and you're travelling light.
 
chlorine :

Pretty technical: http://aem.asm.org/cgi/reprint/41/2/483.pdf


"Chlorine kills bacteria, including disease-causing organisms and the nuisance organism, iron bacteria. However, low levels of chlorine, normally used to disinfect water, are not an effective treatment for giardia cysts. A chlorine level of over 10 mg/1 must be maintained for at least 30 minutes to kill giardia cysts."

OSU

The level of chlorine that kills giardia in 45 minutes kills crypto in 9600 minutes.

CDC
 
Thomas Linton said:
The level of chlorine that kills giardia in 45 minutes kills crypto in 9600 minutes.
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Basically if you don't have a decent water filter that will remove cysts, then boil the water for 5 mins. I've got a Katadyn Vario filter which does the trick for me, compact, lightweight, fast, and effective.

If you've got the funds (I don't) you could use a Steripen instead...I hear that UV is very effective against the wee beasties, and you can get a Steripen now that comes with a solar-panel recharger case if you plan to go off the beaten path for a while.
 
I looked at a Steripen. Instructions say the water needs to be "clear" for the device to work. Sounds like a job for coffee filters.
 
Sound Idea said:
Basically if you don't have a decent water filter that will remove cysts, then boil the water for 5 mins.
Click to expand...

Actually it is not necessary to boil the water for 5 min. Bacteria and such is killed at anything above 160 F so bringing the water to a boil is more than sufficient to ensure the safety of your water. The other advantage is that less fuel is consumed since there is no need to keep water at a boil for so long.
I have found that a filter that is rated to .2 microns or less is more than adequate for use in the United States. I prefer this method above all others since it gives me absolute piece of mind as to it's effectiveness and my water is instantly drinkable. No waiting for chemicals to take effect nor waiting for water to first reach boiling and then cool off sufficiently to a) pour into my camelback and b) drink. Also since iodine and chlorine is not reliably effective against crypto I end up having to treat my water using a second method or waiting a long time before I can drink it. Seams like a waste of time and effort to me. Time and effort I don't generally have the luxury of wasting when I am on a search for a missing person(s).
 
For starters, waterborn polio virus was absolutely rampant a generation ago. You don't think it could make a comeback??? What about the thousands (maybe millions) of illegal aliens pouring across our borders from 3rd world countries, who may have never been vacinated????

Google these: Hepatitis A, rotavirus, Norwalk virus...for starters! Hep A carriers are common! All it takes to pick up Hep A is for somebody to crap or bathe upstream from you.

Play it safe folks, and treat the hell out of your water!!!
 
Recon,

YOu know as well as I most viruses are contracted human to human or through food in this part of the world. Is it possible to get one here via water, sure but you'd die of lightning 5 times over first. I am not talking water cespools or sewage runoff here but wild surface water located all over.

Alarmist marketing is what sells products stats dont support.

Be wary of bacteria loooooong before viruses and something a simple quality filter will take care of and without chemical treatments. Its the exact reason most filters are legal in the first place, as viruses are not an issue so they dont need to filter them.

Skam
 
In terms of chemicals, the CDC site says they set the standard for giardia because that was more than enough to take care of any virus.

Filtration is a whole different matterm of course, 'casue the virus runs much smaller.


Well, as noted, there's always heat.
 
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