3 ms·

Many armies have rations that contain tablets to disinfect water. But they don't need sunlight. Wonder how is this one better.

hollerith 3y ago
>Wonder how is this one better. "Conventional water-treatment technologies include chemicals, which can produce toxic byproducts, and ultraviolet light, which takes a relatively long time to disinfect and requires a source of electricity."
- asdff 3y ago
  Little hand pumps or even filter straws exist too. Handy for camping but they will freeze.
willcipriano 3y ago
Looks like it's reusable. You use a magnet to collect the powder and it goes into more dirty water again. "Disinfectant powder is stirred in bacteria-contaminated water (upper left). The mixture is exposed to sunlight, which rapidly kills all the bacteria (upper right). A magnet collects the metallic powder after disinfection (lower right). The powder is then reloaded into another beaker of contaminated water, and the disinfection process is repeated"
foobarbecue 3y ago
Yeah, iodine tablets. I used to use them for caving and backpacking. Some people say it tastes bad but never bothered me. Is there some claim that they are harmful?
- Dalewyn 3y ago
  >Some people say it tastes bad but never bothered me. I feel like those people are missing the point. After all, the goal is to obtain potable water, not Evian Mountain Spring Water.
- CapstanRoller 3y ago
  >Each tablet contains 20 mg of Tetraglycine Hydroperiodide (TGHP) which liberates 8 milligrams (ppm) of titratable iodine. Diatomic iodine (12) and hypoiodous acid (HIO) are the most prevalent entities. https://www.quakekare.com/water-purification-tablets-p-23 https://www.quakekare.com/water-purification-tablets-p-23 >in some people, excess iodine intakes may precipitate hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, goiter, and/or thyroid autoimmunity. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30891786 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30891786 >Iodine toxicity may lead to thyroiditis, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and thyroid papillary cancer. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32809605/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32809605/ It seems like you'd have to ingest A LOT of this stuff to have problems, though.
  - alejohausner 3y ago
    Actually it's possible that small amounts of added iodine can cause hashimoto's thyroiditis. A 20 year study in Denmark found that adding iodine to table salt led to more hypothyroidism: https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/104/5/1833/5244187 https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/104/5/1833/5244187
    - CapstanRoller 3y ago
      How does this apply to people who consume extra iodine via natural sources like seaweed? I thought that was beneficial for thyroid health.
- hgomersall 3y ago
  You can easily remove the taste with ascorbic acid. Not sure what that does to the bioavailability of the iodine though.

hollerith 3y ago

>Wonder how is this one better. "Conventional water-treatment technologies include chemicals, which can produce toxic byproducts, and ultraviolet light, which takes a relatively long time to disinfect and requires a source of electricity."

asdff 3y ago
Little hand pumps or even filter straws exist too. Handy for camping but they will freeze.

willcipriano 3y ago

Looks like it's reusable. You use a magnet to collect the powder and it goes into more dirty water again. "Disinfectant powder is stirred in bacteria-contaminated water (upper left). The mixture is exposed to sunlight, which rapidly kills all the bacteria (upper right). A magnet collects the metallic powder after disinfection (lower right). The powder is then reloaded into another beaker of contaminated water, and the disinfection process is repeated"

foobarbecue 3y ago

Yeah, iodine tablets. I used to use them for caving and backpacking. Some people say it tastes bad but never bothered me. Is there some claim that they are harmful?

Dalewyn 3y ago
>Some people say it tastes bad but never bothered me. I feel like those people are missing the point. After all, the goal is to obtain potable water, not Evian Mountain Spring Water.
CapstanRoller 3y ago
>Each tablet contains 20 mg of Tetraglycine Hydroperiodide (TGHP) which liberates 8 milligrams (ppm) of titratable iodine. Diatomic iodine (12) and hypoiodous acid (HIO) are the most prevalent entities. https://www.quakekare.com/water-purification-tablets-p-23 https://www.quakekare.com/water-purification-tablets-p-23 >in some people, excess iodine intakes may precipitate hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, goiter, and/or thyroid autoimmunity. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30891786 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30891786 >Iodine toxicity may lead to thyroiditis, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and thyroid papillary cancer. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32809605/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32809605/ It seems like you'd have to ingest A LOT of this stuff to have problems, though.
- alejohausner 3y ago
  Actually it's possible that small amounts of added iodine can cause hashimoto's thyroiditis. A 20 year study in Denmark found that adding iodine to table salt led to more hypothyroidism: https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/104/5/1833/5244187 https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/104/5/1833/5244187
  - CapstanRoller 3y ago
    How does this apply to people who consume extra iodine via natural sources like seaweed? I thought that was beneficial for thyroid health.
hgomersall 3y ago
You can easily remove the taste with ascorbic acid. Not sure what that does to the bioavailability of the iodine though.