[at-l] Re: Vitamin C Precipitating Iodine -- was Filter oriodine for 6-day trip (TN-VA)

[thornel@attglobal.net (W F Thorneloe)]

The Vit C is really only to improve the flavor of iodine treated water. I 
find that after a couple liters, I can ignore the iodine anyway. The acid 
of the Vit C reacts with the iodine, taking it out before it could treat 
the hardier cysts and spores (crypto and giardia). Gatorade and similar 
mixes have Vit C as well as colorings and other additives. It only makes 
sense to rinse the container with the dirty water (unless you are really 
short on water) to get the residual out. It would be easy to carry a 
separate Gatorade bottle for such mixes to add clean water too. You have to 
do that with inline filtered water, as Gatorade powder will clog a filter 
up quite quickly.

I carry an inline filter and Polar Pure. I see the polar Pure as a backup 
and a component of my first aid kit for wound cleaning. It does not expire 
as iodine tabs will, using a very sturdy bottle and supersaturated 
solution. This gives me the convenience of immediate access to water 
without waiting on iodine, with much less weight penalty. I know of docs 
who suspect the inline filter is inadequate, but I trust the available 
testing and FDA information. I also suspect that such water treatment may 
be unnecessary on the AT, as Sloetoe suggests.

OrangeBug

At 11:21 AM 4/5/2001 -0400, David Hicks wrote:
>As I remember it a few folk advised that if you treated water in the same
>container that had held "neutralized" water (or where water had been
>"favored" with vitamin C mixes), the residual vitamin C could precipitate
>the iodine out of the solution before the water was safe.
>
>Anyone know if this is true/ reasonable?