Iodine tablets vrs other sources

Greg Davenport

Greg Davenport

Joined
Nov 29, 1999
Messages
632
I have used iodine tablets, Polar Pure (iodine product), bleach, and the Pur Scout filter. All work. The only problem with iodine tablets is they are expensive and don't last very long (? one year shelf life after opening). Bleach is cheep but a pain to carry. The Pur Scout Filter is great but bulky, heavy, and expensive. The Polar Pure is iodine crystals in a small bottle. To use, simply add water. The water becomes saturated with the iodine (only a very small amount of the iodine will dissolve to reach the saturation point). Next, simply pour the saturated solution into your water bottle. The Polar Pur will allow for you to fill up hundreds of quarts and as long as you can see the iodine crystals in the small bottle it's OK to keep using. It costs around $8-12.


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Greg,
How many drops of bleach do you suggest for killing the micro organisms in a pint of water? I've heard conflicting recommendations. What do you suggest?
 
I agree with Greg's assessment.

We offer another option in our video on Survival kits. 8 grams of USP iodine in a 1oz glass bottle. Works the same as Polarpure but lasts years. The Polarpure is in a substrate that slows saturation times and increases contact times for very cold water. Raw crystals work very rapidly in very cold temps.

Ron

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I advise two drops of bleach for 1 quart of water, shake (make sure to saturate the cap...I advise then and in 5 minutes), wait 30 and drink. I have also heard many conflicting reports on this but from both a medical standpoint and survival am confident this works. Hope that helps.

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Greg Davenport
http://www.ssurvival.com
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Conflicting reports is right! A search of the new will find a report or study to support almost anything as a good/bad water killer.

Not too long ago the government put Iodine crystals on the "Precursers" list. They can be used for drug processing and bomb making... anyway, right after that the FDA came out in favor of chlorine based killers and dissed the iodine systems... funny stuff.

BTW... I call chemical treatments "water killers" because they just kill what is in the water. You still drink dead guardia, moss and fish crap. In my mind the word purification suggests the removal of these goodies.


Ron


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You said it, Ron!

My friend, on one trip to the Rockies, got giardia after using iodine tablets AND a Pur filter in combination!!! He was a little careless and used somewhat stagnant water (thank God he didn't offer some to the rest of us). We found out afterward where he got his water supply.

Even when using a filter, you have to be careful about when it needs to be changed, and also about careless mixing of the source water with the subsequently processed water...it's very easy to "get some on ya" -- like painting -- you swear you're careful but still have random splotches of paint on your hands and other parts of your body.

Like anything in the wilderness, *awareness* is the key.

Brian.
 
So iodine purification is only for microbes then? It won't do anything for heavy metals, chemical toxins, etc...?

What would you use for water purification in a polluted environment to get rid of industrial impurities?

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I've got a bottle of Polar Pure and a sweetwater filter with the virus cartrige. However, I've been looking for some USP iodine and have been unable to find any. Where can I find some???
 
Shrike..

Check out our resources page on our website under iodine. If that won't work a lot of pharmacies in smaller towns will still sell it to you.



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Try www.rei.com
They carry Polar-Pure and other water purifiers. As for me, I use a Katadyne- Combi filter, yeah, they're expensive and heavy, but with water being so essiential I'll bear the burden. Also nice about the Katadyne- Combi is that I also have an adaptor that allows for use on my kitchen sink. These filters are good for approx. 13,000 Gallons of water, so I've got a while to go. Not a misprint 13,000 gallons. Cost w/adaptor $185. I ordered mine from REI, they don't normally stock them, but will still get them per order.
 
How do you track the number of times/liters/gallons that have gone through your filter? I have a First Need filter that I used a lot back when I used to do treks om the White Mountains. I have no clue how much liquid have gone through it.

I'll dump it and get a new one when I start backpacking again. But it raises the question of how one tracks when a cartridge is spent.

sing

AKTI #A000356
 
After a week or so drinking water treated with iodine I start puking, getting diarrhea, etc. I prefer to boil my water when possible, as it creates no side effects inside me.

Iodine is ok for shorter periods. The Polar-pure is convenient. I haven't tried USP crystals, but I thought that's what the Polar-pure was.

Question for Ron - Where did you get the information on the composition of Polar-pure?

You filter advocates, doesn't it get boring drinking water after you've filtered out all the "seasonings?" Why, pure H2O tastes the same anywhere. You're missing all the regional flavors!
wink.gif
(Just kidding. I filter sometimes too.)
 
Howard,

One of my students runs a lab. Did an analysis on the little pills in the Polarpure. I don't remember the composition of the substrate but apparently it locks up the iodine to slow the dissolution rate. I believe this is done for safety reasons.

Don't quote me on this but...as I recollect.. The LD50 for pure iodine is around 1oz (28g) if taken on an empty stomach. Some folks are allergic and can be killed by much lower doses. Of course children have a much lower LD50 and the polarpure folks needed to take alleric reactions, children and a dumb act (swallowing the contents of a full bottle) into account when they sell the product. The substrate slows things enough to provide the safety margin.

If you ever DO take too much of the solid crystals... you can eat carbohydrates to "lock up" the iodine. Greg can fill you in on the rest of the steps.

BTW. if you make up a sugar water solution and add an iodine solution to the water you will see an interesting reaction. Now add vitamin "C" to the water and watch that.

Ron

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Another thought...

I try to use boiling and filters before I use Iodine or Chlorine.

Some rivers, i.e. the Amazon and it's tributaries are so full of fine sediment that they will clog any filter very rapidly. Here is how we handle that problem.

Fill a bucket with water and allow to settle for an hour if possible. Attach an automobile gasoline filter to the intake hose of your filter. This will filter out the dust that clogs the filter as well as any candiru etc. that might inhabit the water. There are commercial prefilters that will perform the same function but the gas filters are CHEAP!

I've also used coffee filters. Punch a bunch of holes in a 1lb coffee can. Place some chicken wire on the bottom of the can. This wire should be cut like a disk. Fabric can also be used. Lay a coffee filter on top of the wire or cloth and pour your to-be-filtered water through the can. this will take out a lot of the clogging gunk. The can also makes a handy place to keep your filter safe from crushing in your gear.

Ron
 
Guys,

If you're having problems with iodine, just bring some vitamin C tablets, powder 'em up, and add some to your water. There are iodone packages now that contain a "neutralizer" that you add to the water after it's safe to get rid of the iodine taste -- the neutralizer is just vitamin C.


Joe
 
Betadine (r) solution (povidone iodine 10%) is a good water purifier. Just add 10 drops to a liter of water. Easy numbers to remember: 10%, 10 drops, 1000cc. Kills bacteria, amoeba, giardia. Widely used outside of USA, but not here, except as wound disinfectant (I used gallons of the stuff). The reason for its' non-use in the USA is that the company doesn't want to bother to get FDA approval for this use.

Nice trick with the vitamin C, Joe. Should work with Betadine (r) as well, as the stuff is basically a long polymer with Iodine attached so that it is slowly released, IIRC.

BTW, make sure you get the SOLUTION, not the SCRUB, as the scrub has detergent in it.

Hope this helps, Walt
 
Hmmm...if you got the orange flavored chewable vitamin C tabs, you could probably make up some safe,tasty water. Just a thought. Walt



[This message has been edited by Walt Welch (edited 30 November 1999).]
 
Just a note: I always add flavoring to my water after I have finished the treatment process (ie...if you are suppose to wait 1/2 hour before the water is drinkable...don't treat until the 1/2 is up).

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Greg Davenport
http://www.ssurvival.com
Are You Ready For The Challenge?


 

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Betadine (r) solution (povidone iodine 10%) is a good water purifier. Just add 10 drops to a liter of water. Easy numbers to remember: 10%, 10 drops, 1000cc.

This is roughly a 100ppm Iodine solution, At these levels this would be a disinfecting solution. the normal concnetration for drinking purposes is in the 2 to 10 ppm region.
The 2 drops of Clorox((sodium hperchlorite) assuming a 5.25 % concentration.) in a quart of water will yield a 10ppm chlorine solution
The iodine crystals in 1 oz of water will yield a 64 ppm iodine solution which when then added to the quart of water will bring the solution to a 2ppm iodine solution.
tinture of Iodine (2%) call also be used to sterilize water by adding 5drops per quart of water and will yield roughly a 10ppm solution.

As a measuring stick, the chlorine levels recommended for use in pools and spas is in the 2 to 10 ppm levels.
 
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