How to Filter Chemicals in Water

Darcy_A

Hi,
I know there are a lot of other threads about water purification, but i can't seem to find the info I'm looking for. I will be in India for four months, and from researching purification systems it sounds like the steriPen is the easiest most effective option. But that doesn't filter out chemicals, and I have read that there can be some very harmful chemicals in Indian water such as arsenic and more. Does anyone know of an inexpensive filter that can get rid of these chemicals? (I can use the SteriPen to get rid of everything else). Is a micro filter necessary for filtering out chemicals? If so does anyone know how many microns?

Thanks for any advice!

Darcy

Shivani Skydancer

Important question. Hope someone comes along to enlighten us!

federica

For filtering out chemicals you need an active carbon filter. There is a water filter from Katadyn that contains active carbon.

I'd suggest to go to their website http://www.katadyn.com and check the different filters out, according to your home country. They don't come cheap, but sometimes you can buy the second hand or resell it after your India trip.

Darcy_A

Thanks for the info Federica! I looked at katadyn.com, but it looks like most of those filters treat the water with iodine, which I've heard isn't always healthy.

I found a carbon filter at REI called First Need Trav-L-Pure Water Purifyer, and it has a carbon filter, and also does not use chemicals to treat the water. It looks like a good product but I can't seem to find more than one review on it. Does anyone have any experience with this purifier?

http://www.rei.com/product/662933

Nick-H

That's one expensive gadget!*

The only justification for buying something like that for an Indian trip is a heavy-weight dedication not to purchase water in plastic bottles.

The cost of that gadget would buy you over 660 litres in 1-litre bottles. More in bigger containers.



*but I still always fancied a Katadyn. I could not, however, justify the cost.

federica

Darcy, I know this one:
http://www.katadyn.com/usen/katadyn-...dyn-combi-usa/

It's not cheap and not small, and as long as you're not going on trekking trips where you have to drink water from streams or use it for future journeys I'd suggest buying bottled water.

Don't start thinking too much about chemical pollution in India, sometimes these thoughts can make you more sick than the pollution itself. At least as long as you're not staying as a long term resident

camelgirl

Here's another small one that looks excellent and isn't as expensive as the other one. You wouldn't need the steripen because this does it all. It says it takes out chemicals (probably not all but the ones likely to be in water).

http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/sto...rom=SR&feat=sr

I must say I haven't really thought about the chemical problem. Last couple of trips I bought bottled water but now I'm back to not buying bottled water & got a steripen, which I haven't used yet.

Here is another one that has a carbon block. Expensive but not over-the-top like some of them. http://www.purwaterfilter.com/bkavamisy.html I think Katadyn bought Pur. It's very confusing

Somewhere in the bottom of my box of travel gear is a small pump filter that looks like some of these that I bought about 8 years ago & never remember to bring. I think I have to find it & see if it's got that carbon thing!

__________________
My selected India photos http://www.indiamike.com/photopost/s...r/7030/cat/500

federica

A side note to carbon filters:

The carbon has to be changed frequently as otherwise it's a great place for germs to grow!

Darcy_A

Thanks again for the very helpful responses! I decided to go with the SteriPen and a Katedyn filter similar to the one Camelgirl recommended. I know it's excessive but I don't want to pollute India with bottle waste, and I hear the water in bottles isn't always safe anyway. Plus I am going to be working on a reforestation project in Sadhana Forest, and I don't know how water is supplied there but I doubt bottles are readily available. With the filter and SteriPen I will have a backup if one breaks or malfunctions.

By the way, Federica, what do you mean by frequently? I think the filter I ordered said the carbon would last 100 gallons, but I don't trust the label to always be 100% accurate.

federica

Not sure how often, the advice came with my Katadyn filter, it was written in the instructions.

By coincidence I read an article about arsenic pollution of water in India, and it said it's mostly in Bihar and a few other areas in Northern India.

Regarding drinking water in general: Mostly people boil tap/well water and let it cool down before they drink it. Even in restaurants you can ask for that (but it would be hot there). I haven't used my water filter very often, rarely had bottled water, but mostly boiled water, and that was fine.

A reforestation project? Sounds interesting!

Shivani Skydancer

Hi Federica! Do you have a link to this article? It would be important to know which "other areas" of Northern India have arsenic polluted water!

Thanks

federica

The article was in German, but I'll check it again and post the areas.

added 2 min later:

Checked it again. There were only certain areas in Bihar mentioned, but the same problem exists in Bangladesh.

Here the affected areas with arsenic pollution of the ground water:
According to "Bihar's Public Health and Engineering Department" following districts are affected: Darbhanga, Bhojpur, Vaishali, Bhagalpur, Munger, Samastipur, Buxar, Khangaria, Begusarai, Katihar and Chapra and the state capital Patna.

Shivani Skydancer

Thanks Federica. I've just spent the last hour researching this. It's an environmental and human catastrophy. The whole Gangetic delta is polluted with arsenic and many areas of Uttar Pradesh, including Varanasi, and even in some areas in Punjab and Pakistan:

http://www.envisiitr.org.in/publicat...ENDANGERED.pdf

camelgirl

I checked my large box of travel gear & discovered this filter at the bottom! I've never taken it with me--probably decided to use bottled water! I bought it quite a few years ago (maybe 8 before the company was bought by katadyn.) It's called a Pur Voyager but it's exactly the same, with the carbon thingy. I will definitely bring it along next trip. Didn't really think about the chemicals. I do also have the steripen. Water is the key to life!!! Kind of a belt & suspenders approach!

http://www.katadyn.com/usen/katadyn-...dyn-hiker-pro/

federica

I remember when I asked some Indian students here in Germany why their hair becomes grey at the beginning of their 20ies, they told me it has something to do with the ground water in their native places. No idea what chemical was causing this effect, they just told me it's normal there and almost everyone is affected.

Getting healthy water right out of the tap is surely something I am very very grateful for here in Germany.

Shivani Skydancer, will read your link when I've got more time, great that you've done some research on this topic!