[at-l] Aquamira - Is it Safe?

[orangebug74@xxxxxxxxx (Orange Bug)]

It must be early spring. There is a lot of misinformation and
fear out about water treatment. FDA has demonstrated that iodine
and chlorine treatments are safe and effective regarding claims
of bleaching a variety of bacteria and cysts. Iodine is not
particularly dangerous for anyone, and is essential for
prevention of goiter and hypothyroidism. Fear stories about
chlorine are used to promote home water filters.

Filters work but do not remove virus particles. Virus in water
is not a particularly significant risk in North America. The
limiting factor is parasite cysts  - giardia and crypto. Any
filter removes these pretty well (nothing is 100%)and water can
be consumed immediately. Bleaching agents require adequate time
to bleach and treat at the ambient temperature - usually at
least 20 minutes. Bleaches kill viruses within 5 minutes, hence
purifiers are filters with a bleach attached to the outflow.

However, people tend to get GI events from a variety of sources
without regard to how they treat their water. Much of this is
related to the complicated procedures of water treatment, cross
contamination of clean and dirty pump lines, fatigue, mechanical
failures and the fact that fecal-oral spread of bugs is more
commonly caused by hygiene and personal contact with another
hiker.

Use whatever treatment suits your fancy, even if you don't treat
your water. Just keep your hands out of my GORP!

Bill...

--- Alyssa Rayman-Read <alyssarr@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I am thinking of trying to cut weight by using
> Aquamira instead of a filter.  I have read a lot about
> the negative long term effects of iodine, particularly
> on those with thyroid conditions and on pregnant and
> pre-pregnant women, but have not read much on the
> health impacts of Aquamira.  I am fairly adverse to
> taking medicines or eating any additives/preservatives
> normally, but since Aquamira seems to use a chlorine
> treatment, and this is how public water is also
> treated, I am considering using this for the entire
> length of my trip.


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