Purification Tablets

[Liachta Cultaca]

Everyone has seen the Aqua Clear - water purification tablets that come in the ration pack.

My question is : What level of contamination will these tablets purify.

Serious replies only

Have googled this but unable to find the answer

[The Sultan]

As far as I know, water purification tablets (generally) only kill anything that lives in the water, like parasites, bacteria and larger things such as eggs of insects. I dont think that they can do much about high concentrations of chemicals from pesticides, nitrates and other farm run off, or pollution from factories.

But thats what I can remember from a geography field study I did in secondary school!

[The Joker]

I think that would be a question for Thorpe...

[MINSTREL BOY]

Ask R&S he knows all about water purification and Environmental Health.

[JAG]

Aren't they chlorine tablets? Same as they use to purify the water in public water supplies?

[DeV]

Puritabs

The fastest acting water purification tablet which makes water safe to drink in just ten minutes. Though Chlorine based they leave minimal taste in the water. Ideal for emergency use or for cleaning your teeth. One tablet will treat one litre of water (dosage or treatment time can be doubled in high risk areas).
http://www.safariquip.co.uk/acatalog...eatment_8.html

Puritabs are an effective chlorine-based water steriliser. If you are unable to use iodine, this is a good alternative. When using in areas where water is likely to be heavily contaminated with parasites, leave to stand for at least 30 minutes. 1 tab per lt.
http://www.nomadtravel.co.uk/store/c...cat=407&page=1

Essentially, parasites tend to be harder to kill than bacteria. Giardia cysts are often considered to be the hardest of all to remove. Giardia is most likely to be encountered by trekkers using surface waters, e.g. streams and lakes, as a source of drinking water.

Water purification tablets are often supplied through pharmacies and camping shops and it is important that travellers know how to use them properly. The halogens, chlorine and iodine, are the most commonly used; the only other widely available product is katadyn silver. Their effectiveness will depend on four variables:
1. concentration of chemical used
2. contact time
3. water temperature
4. water quality (e.g. pH, presence of organic matter)

If the water is clear of particulate matter and at an ambient temperature, it can be left for a shorter time before being safe to drink. However, if the water is heavily contaminated then a higher concentration of halogen should be used. Recommendations on manufacturers’ labels should be followed carefully. The concentration of halogen is usually calculated to allow sterilisation in less than half an hour. In the UK, chlorination has long been used for the preparation of clean water by trekkers and travellers, whereas in the USA iodine appears to be more popular. There is a long-running debate concerning
the choice between chlorine- and iodine-based products. Some of these issues will now be addressed.

Sodium dichloroisocyanurate (Puritabs) These are one of the UK market leaders and are sold through most pharmacies. They are available in different-strength tablets to treat either 1 or 25 L of water. If used according to the directions on the packaging, they should be effective against Giardia, although to date no studies directly investigating their use against this organism have been performed. If the water is heavily contaminated, two tablets should be used. For soaking vegetables, it is recommended to add a total of three tablets to the required quantity of water. A contact time of just 10 minutes is advised. To treat double the quantity of water with the same number of tablets, the time can be
increased to 30 minutes.

http://www.pharmpress.com/shop/samples/chap-03.pdf

[Thorpe]

From what I know straight off, they are a form of Chlorine (certainly gives the taste of it), They are only designed to be used on any living organics in water. They are more than useless against toxins, nitrates etc. I dont know about large water borne matter such as insect larva, but if in doubt make a filter with a piece of cloth.
Ive used them last summer and is still singing the good song.

[Muzzle]

Iv used em for about 3-4 days no problems,




AFAIK they just kill various shit inthe water and thats it.

[herr flick]

Puri tabs, which are nearly all chlorine based will NOT remove nitrates or any other chemical elements in water. They should only be used after leaving to dissapate in the water for an hour. They wil l leave the water a brownish colour and will taste of chlorine or iodine. This can be gotten rid of by anothere tab, which when placed in the water for a few minutes should clear the colour and get rid of some of the taste. By the way an important point to remember when using tabs, is not to forget to do the mouthpiece of whatever you are drinking from too. Do this by screwing the cap halfway closed and then sloshing the water(with tab inserted) around the mouth of whatever you are drinking from.
All water of a dubious nature should be boiled, if time permits. This will kill most of the floating nastys and bacteria. Whatever is left will be killed by your puritabs.(in theory)