water treatment-Iodine tablets

I just wondered why I am the only one using Iodine tablets, and a neutralizer tablet? Most discussions center around Aqua Mira-chlorine type treatments. Am I out of date or missing something? (Yes I did a "search")

The chlorine treatments:

Are more effective against cripto and Giardia,

Taste less, and

Do not leave stains in the water containers.

However, Do not fix it, if it is not broken. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Also, some folks are sensitive to/can't have iodine, and too much iodine in the diet can also pose a risk.

The main reason I have switched from iodine tabs to chlorine tabs is the way they are packaged. I prefer the individual foil wrapping for the chlorine tabs, as they pack a bit better than the bottle that the iodine tabs come in. Also when using the iodine tabs I found it more difficult to get the correct number of tabs out of the bottle and into my water.

To pile on, ClO2 is much more effective against bacteria (a several-log improvement).

Thanks!! I always wondered, Iodine DOES have to be in the bottles-heavier, harder to get out too.

I just like the taste of the water with Katadryn tablets. And maybe the clorine dioxide tablets last a little longer than the iodine tablets - although the Katadryn pack I bought two years ago is disintegrating now - most of the tablets are powder.

I don't go ultralight so I use a katadyn water filter/pump. This takes care of everything without the bad taste or staining of tablets. Iodine doesn't take care of some tapeworms. Don't know about chlorine tabs.

If you read the package of iodine tabs on say potable aqua for instance it says not known to deactivate Cryptosporidium, translated it will not kill unhatched eggs iodine cannot penetrate the shell, I hope this is helpful.

i think chuck norris has it easy. all he has to do is look at the dirty water and everything except pur h2o jumps out.

The only advantage I see in iodine is cost. I really don't like the taste. The neutralizer adds one more step and I like to keep things simple. Iodine tabs stained one of my bladders once.

I'd like to caution against using iodine for water disinfection except for dire emergencies.

First, iodine is contraindicated for pregnant women and for children, which should tell you it's not harmless. It's also contraindicated for those with thyroid problems (which often are undiagnosed).

Second, as mentioned, iodine is ineffective against cryptosporidium (cysts, not eggs).

Third, a surprising number of people are allergic to iodine. I found this out after I had a severe reaction after only a month of using iodine to disinfect drinking water on weekend hikes. I developed a severe rash with deep lesions (lichen planus) which took months to heal and left permanent scars. This happened over 20 years ago. I still am so sensitive to it that one dish prepared with iodized salt or one serving of seafood is sufficient to make me break out. This is not trivial--most restaurants use iodized salt and I cannot accept an invitation to someone's house for dinner without asking that my food be specially prepared with non-iodized salt. Should I ever have to have a diagnostic procedure such as an angiogram that uses radioactive iodine--well, that's just too bad, I'll just have to drop dead from the undiagnosed ailment.

With chlorine dioxide and many varieties of filters available, there is no reason for anyone to use iodine. The risks are not worth it!

I like OM's response.

I've used iodine, pumps/filters, and Aqua Mira. I like Aqua Mira the best because it is easy. When taking a group, I never have to worry if someone will start to freak out because of iodine. As nice as they are (and I still use them when my wife is with me), pumps & filters will fail. It is an easy solution.

I don't recall anyone mentioning this, but long term use of iodine (think thru hike) could do some damage to your body... even if you are not allergic to it.

jpanderson, I'm a steadfast Aqua Mira user!

My sister really likes the filters, though. So, I bought her a filter as a gift and when we hike together I happily let her pump away while I play on the rocks and look for salamanders.

Thanks, Oregon Mouse! I think that I will try the Chlorine Dioxide tablets as they do seem more effective.

However, Doesn't the iodine neutralizer render iodine inert?

OM, I filter all my water eventhough I may end up boiling it. I've never used tablets of any kind. I've read that using regular bleach at 4 drops per quart will purify water. I haven't done this either. Is this a good practice and what will it taste like. I was thinking of using the bleach drops and then filtering the water.

The neutralizer renders iodine inert as far as disinfection goes, but the iodine is still there (per my doctor at the time).