[Philmont]: Water Purification and Iodine - Take 99

Per Wally's Post of earlier today, here is one of my treatises from 2003
(as you will see from Wally's 2003 query, some questions never die):

1) Regardless of what you add to "kill" the iodine, whether Vitamin C or
a drink mix, you have to fully purify the water first (that is, wait the
full hour (or whatever) that Philmont is recommending, then add the
Vitamin C or drink mix). The reason why is that iodine will react with
the Vitamin C or select ingredients in the drink mix MUCH faster than it
will kill off the more stubborn critters - so if you add them nearly
simultaneously, you've effectively done nothing to purify the water. And
in the case of drink mix, you've now got a canteen with critters
included that are now residing in a rich nutrient broth (sugar water) -
so you'll soon have a zillion more critters. This is why you have to be
very careful to rinse residual drink mix out of a canteen before Polar
Pure-ing it again - even a little drink mix can kill off your iodine.
And this is why one of the salient reasons why my Crews NEVER have drink
mix in any of their canteens (and neither should yours).

2) It is *not* actually the drink mix sugar that reacts with iodine, but
rather all the other ingredients in the drink mix - flavoring
ingredients, preservatives, and excipients (so "diet" drink mixes are
just as bad as sugared drink mixes; don't be deceived just because your
drink mix is "sugarless"). And if your drink mix is NEW! IMPROVED!
VITAMIN C ADDED!, it will almost instantly destroy Polar Pure.

3) If anyone in your Crew has a thyroid condition (something you should
specifically ask during an "all-hands" meeting where parents are
present), then they probably cannot use Polar Pure. I am not an MD, but
it is my understanding that even iodide ions ("dead" iodine remaining
after treatment with Vitamin C or some other similar agent) will still
cause a thyroid to go haywire, same as iodine. In such cases, that
person will need to use a chlorine based purification method, or go with
a good filter THAT DOESN'T ALSO HAVE A PURIFIER IN IT (since most of
those purifiers are - you guessed it - iodine based). On chlorine, you
can use standard Chlorox Bleach (1 drop per liter, wait 10 minutes (2
drops, wait 20, if cloudy or very cold)), or go with a chlorine based
water purification tablet (there are still some out there, though the
brand-names escape me right now). On Chlorox, make sure you get plain
Chlorox, not one with any extra ingredients in it. In addition, you
need a small, leak-proof squeeze bottle, and whoever is using it needs
to be very mindful that chlorox is a very powerful oxidizing agent, and
undiluted will eat clothing and cause chemical burns on the skin. And
don't hold it next to your face (eyes) when adding - a single drop in an
eye is an immediate medical emergency. For Scouts, careful training
obviously required. On the squeeze bottle, about a 10 mL bottle is 2-3
as much as you'd ever need for one person on a Philmont trek.

If you have a Crew member with a thyroid condition, you need to be
equally mindful of what water is used to prepare your meals. Meals
requiring boiling water don't need purified water, but cold water
desserts that do, also represent a danger.

If you have no-one on your trek with a thyroid condition, but by about
Day III you have a Scout or Advisor claiming that they are absolutely
exhausted but still can't sleep at night, and they're drinking
Polar-Pure'd water, you should suspect an undiagnosed thyroid condition,
and contact Base Camp for advice.

Finally, I will restate a comment I have made many times before -
there's nothing wrong with Polar Pure, and it's fine for 499 out of
every 500 trekkers - so don't get too hung up on the above treatise, and
start devising all sorts of anti-Polar Pure defenses. "Background
Information Only" unless you know you have an issue.

[Note Added in Proof - As has been stated numerous times, it appears
Polar Pure is on the way out anyway. However, the basic premise still
holds - the water should be purified completely, whatever system is
used, *before* adding anything else to it.

Additional Note Added in Proof - If you suspect a thyroid condition on
shakedowns or similar activities where polar pure or iodine purified
water is being used, the trekker should immediately consult a physician;
you don't need this kind of a surprise on the trail. Inherent in the
previous sentence is the suggestion to use Polar Pure on your
shakedowns, so you find out here, not there. Yes, even though we
probably aren't using it this year (assume nothing!)]

- Dr. Bob

Feurtado, Walter (Contractor) wrote:
I was doing training with Dr. Bob, who is a chemist and he said that
sugar and iodine will react with each other and will leave the
contaminate alone. Perhaps Dr. Bob could elaborate.

When we have scouts who must put drink mix to flavor the water, it is OK
if it is done AFTER the water has been purified. The problem is that if
there is any residue, it might affect the purification process.

Just a thought,

Wally Feurtado
2004 Philmont Trip Coordinator
National Capital Area Council

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Received on Wed Apr 6 02:31:33 2005