Re: Re: What light water treatment method do you use?

I would recommend against it. H202 breaks down rapidly based on light,
pressure and temperature. Hence, the age of the solution has a lot to do with it. 
Backpacking has too many extremes to count on: 90 degrees F in a 
valley to 28 degrees on the top of a mountain, for example. All within a 
days hike.  The nature of peroxide causes it to decompose at different
rates, soo, a single hot day with the sun beating down on your pack, might
render it useless unless you use a glass bottle to increase the 
pressure.
        I guess that it would work since the extra O  would be
an effective oxidizing agent. It was recommended to me for mouthwash 
and gargle when a molar was acting up, so I doubt that it is very 
poisonous. Again, as with most water treatment chemicals, it will work well
for some things, less well for others. I suspect that cysts, tapeworm eggs,
and other larger things will not be killed by the weak solution of peroxide.
They are "designed" to withstand harsher conditions than a peroxide bath.  
        Did he say why he was using the charcoal (besides taste)?  I never
thought of peroxide as having any flavour.
        My thoughts only . . .
                jdm

At 09:30 AM 7/31/2006, you wrote:
>I just saw a tv show here in oz where they do a bit of half ass
>medical myth busting, and this time they had a 'survival expert'
>telling people to put 6% hydrogen peroxide into stream water to treat
>it (a few drops), and then filter it thru charcoal. has anyone used
>H2O2 before?? and what sort of concentrations?? My work has a supply
>of analysis grade H2O2... 
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