Thanks to using iodine to disinfect drinking water (over 20 years ago), I developed a serious allergy. I still have the scars from the deep-seated rash (lichen planus). To this day I cannot eat seafood or anything made with iodized salt. Should I need medical tests that use radioactive iodine, I'll just have to die of whatever they're trying to diagnose. All this from only a month of using iodine for water disinfection, only on weekends.
The CDC says that iodine should be used for water disinfection only in an emergency. Iodine is also contraindicated for pregnant women, small children and those with thyroid problems (some of which may be undiagnosed). Finally, iodine is not effective against cryptosporidium, one of the potentially contaminating organisms.
Any chemical disinfection takes up to four hours (in really cold water) to work against protozoan cysts (giardia, cryptosporidium). It is generally considered that giardia, not bacteria, are the most common problem in backcountry water.
By adding flavorings to a potentially poisonous chemical, you would be liable for deaths should someone's children get hold of it.
Sorry to be a wet blanket, but your class needs to do a LOT more research on your potentially harmful product!
Edited by OregonMouse (05/04/09 02:29 AM)
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May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey