4 ms·

If you’re in the US or Canada, you probably want something else for water purification in your emergency kit (iodine or a good filter or the equipment to boil w

If you’re in the US or Canada, you probably want something else for water purification in your emergency kit (iodine or a good filter or the equipment to boil water)— bleach (including the calcium hypochlorite in this stuff) won’t adequately kill Giardia cysts or Cryptosporidium.

wtallis 5y ago
When my scout troop is teaching the Emergency Preparedness merit badge, we often do an exercise on bulk treatment of water beyond what is practical to filter with the portable filters we take on backpacking trips. We use alum as a flocculant, then sand to filter, then battery-powered UV sterilization (while noting that leaving clear water out in full sun for a few hours will accomplish the same dose as stirring a UV lamp through a bucket for a minute or two). Alum isn't exactly a common household item these days and the UV lamp certainly isn't, but it does make for a cheap and compact kit that can treat a lot of water with relatively little time and effort.
- Turing_Machine 5y ago
  > Alum isn't exactly a common household item these days You can often find it in the spice section. People use it to make pickles. McCormick/Schilling sells it, among other major brands. Walmart sells "Hoosier Hill Farm" brand for about $15/pound.
  - wtallis 5y ago
    My point was more that it isn't something people are likely to already have on hand at home. It's certainly readily available and extremely cheap for this purpose, but you need to actually buy some before a disaster hits.
    - Spooky23 5y ago
      Depends on the family! Hoarding the clearance pickling supplies after the season is over is a long tradition in my family. :)
Turing_Machine 5y ago
Chlorine will kill giardia. You just have to wait somewhat longer. Giardia is definitely present in Pakistan, where this is being manufactured.
- baybal2 5y ago
  Unfortunately it seem to not to work in Chinese giardias. Giardiosis happen rather routinely even in places like Shanghai. Personal experience.
  - Laforet 5y ago
    The quality of tap water in Shanghai is pretty bad even by Chinese standards - there is a reason why boiling water is the norm.
quercusa 5y ago
I picked up a case of Crypto during a day trip to Milwaukee for a lunch meeting back in the 90s (they had a water treatment issue). 0/10, would not recommend.

wtallis 5y ago

When my scout troop is teaching the Emergency Preparedness merit badge, we often do an exercise on bulk treatment of water beyond what is practical to filter with the portable filters we take on backpacking trips. We use alum as a flocculant, then sand to filter, then battery-powered UV sterilization (while noting that leaving clear water out in full sun for a few hours will accomplish the same dose as stirring a UV lamp through a bucket for a minute or two). Alum isn't exactly a common household item these days and the UV lamp certainly isn't, but it does make for a cheap and compact kit that can treat a lot of water with relatively little time and effort.

Turing_Machine 5y ago
> Alum isn't exactly a common household item these days You can often find it in the spice section. People use it to make pickles. McCormick/Schilling sells it, among other major brands. Walmart sells "Hoosier Hill Farm" brand for about $15/pound.
- wtallis 5y ago
  My point was more that it isn't something people are likely to already have on hand at home. It's certainly readily available and extremely cheap for this purpose, but you need to actually buy some before a disaster hits.
  - Spooky23 5y ago
    Depends on the family! Hoarding the clearance pickling supplies after the season is over is a long tradition in my family. :)

Turing_Machine 5y ago

Chlorine will kill giardia. You just have to wait somewhat longer. Giardia is definitely present in Pakistan, where this is being manufactured.

baybal2 5y ago
Unfortunately it seem to not to work in Chinese giardias. Giardiosis happen rather routinely even in places like Shanghai. Personal experience.
- Laforet 5y ago
  The quality of tap water in Shanghai is pretty bad even by Chinese standards - there is a reason why boiling water is the norm.

quercusa 5y ago

I picked up a case of Crypto during a day trip to Milwaukee for a lunch meeting back in the 90s (they had a water treatment issue). 0/10, would not recommend.