Re: [at-l] The Class of 1999 Update

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Section hike
Foster Parsons  First Pilgrim  Kataydin to PenMar  May 16
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Cc:            at-l@backcountry.net
From:          tmcginnis@ucclan.state.in.us (Thomas McGinnis)
Date:          Thu, 25 Feb 1999 09:35:06 -0500
Subject:       Re[2]: [at-l] Iodine
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     This post contains a near-exhaustive brain-dump of my personal store 
     of chemistry knowledge. (Should be short.)
     1) "Iodine" is a chemical element; what we generally treat our water 
     with is a compound: "Iodide".
     2) "Salts" are chemical compound of a positive metal ion (Na+, K+) and 
     a negative halogen ion (Cl-, I-).
     3) "Table Salt" is NaCl; what our muscles crave most is K. K is an 
     impurity in store-bought NaCl, so we need to get it from bananas and 
     raisons (GORPAGE!!!!! YEA!!). When Morton's says "When it rains, it 
     pours", they are telling you that their table salt does not contain 
     any KCl, and so does not pull water out of the air to clump up your 
     shaker.
     4) In unsaturated solution, salts will dissolve into the separate 
     ions. Saturation depends on the amount of salt present AND ON THE 
     TEMPERATURE OF THE SOLUTION: the warmer the solution, the higher the 
     level of saturation. Thus, stirring amount X of a salt into cold water 
     may leave some amount Y left undisolved in the bottom of the pot; 
     heating the water will raise saturation level, and allow more of the 
     undisolved salt to go into solution. Conversely, some amount Y of salt 
     disolved in a solution may precipitate out (appear as salt solids) to 
     the bottom of the pot as the solution is cooled.
     
     From this, I would SURMISE that combining Gatoraide with Iodide 
     treated water would taste salty, would have its Iodine-based salt 
     attacked (and made available) in the body the same as NaCl or KCl. But 
     with as much salt as all that being introduced, I MIGHT be concerned 
     about INGESTING sufficient water to keep up with the thirst-inducing 
     effects of the all the salts......but I've never noticed any problem 
     with the great gobs of gorpage I've ingested either......


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: RE: [at-l] Iodine
Author:  "Mayer; Jim" <JMayer@crt.xerox.com> at ima
Date:    2/25/99 12:45 AM


I have a related iodine question....
     
As far as I understand, ascorbic acid (vitamin C) binds with the free iodine 
and forms salts.  That's how the "taste neutralizer" that the Portable Aqua 
folks sell work.  It's probably why so many folks add gatoraid to their 
freshly debugged water (though I find I prefer the taste of iodine).
     
Anyway... once the iodine is bound up as a salt, can the body get at it?  In 
other words, does the body break down the salt and pick up the iodine, or 
does the stuff pass right through on its way to the great cat-hole in the 
sky?
     
Does anybody know the answer?
     
-- Jim
     
-----Original Message-----
From: W F Thorneloe, MD [mailto:thornel@ibm.net]
     
This is a recurrent thread and worry. The best I can figure out, there is 
very little risk of iodine poisoning, even if you take the tablets like a 
pill. If you use the iodine as directed, most will either waft into the air, 
or burn the bugs and be in solution as a salt. The biggest concern with 
iodine is the taste and the time for treatment. If you have problems with 
that and stop treating the water, then you run the risk of getting the runs. 
By far, Iodine is the cheapest and lightest way to treat water, although I 
like the. convenience of filtration.
     
OrangeBug
Atlanta, GA
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