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Water Purifying Chemicals
Are Water
Purifying Chemicals Safe?
Poison Control
The Bottom Line
Portable water
purification chemicals are available in tablet, liquid, and powder form and
contain the disinfectants iodine or chlorine.
They can be added
to untreated water to kill harmful microorganisms and make the water safer to
drink. Although generally safe, they can easily be mistaken for medications or
candy.
The Full Story
Perhaps you are an adventurer hiking in the
wilderness and realize you are out of bottled water.
There is a stream up ahead; you are quite
thirsty and the water looks clean.
Or perhaps your town was just hit hard by a
hurricane, disrupting and contaminating your water supply.
In situations like these, it is risky to
drink untreated water. Portable water purifying products can come in handy and
are marketed for use in these kinds of situations.
Drinking untreated water, which can contain
various pathogens, can lead to illness ranging from mild gastrointestinal
symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea to more severe illnesses like
hepatitis, meningitis, and even death.
According to the Waterborne Disease and
Outbreak Surveillance System (WBDOSS), in the United States during 2013-2014,
42 water-associated outbreaks were reported. These outbreaks resulted in at
least 1006 cases of illness, 124 hospitalizations, and 13 deaths.
Water purifying chemicals can be added to
untreated water to kill harmful microorganisms (protozoa, bacteria, and
viruses) and make the water safer to drink.
They can be useful following a natural
disaster that disturbs the supply of drinkable water or for people who are
camping, hiking, or find themselves in remote areas where safe drinking water
is not readily available.
Water purifying chemicals available today are
most commonly in the form of tablets, but they are also available in liquid drops
or packaged powder. They contain either chlorine or iodine.
Whether liquid, tablets, or powder, water
purifying chemicals are added directly to untreated water, releasing the
chlorine or iodine.
These disinfectants act directly on harmful
organisms to destroy them.
Water purifying chemicals vary in their
shelf-life, length of time required for them to fully dissolve and be
effective, and the concentration of the active ingredient.
How well each chemical is able to destroy
harmful pathogens and make untreated water truly safe to drink depends on
multiple factors like the temperature, pH, cloudiness of the water, and how
long the chemical is left to dissolve and fully take effect.
It is important to note that not all
pathogens will be completely eliminated by these chemicals. According to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), proper boiling of untreated
water is the most effective technique, but this is often not practical.
Furthermore, water purifying chemicals do not
rid the water of chemical contaminants like pesticides.
How safe are water purifying chemicals and
can they be poisonous? When used correctly, water purifying chemicals are
generally safe.
They themselves are a safety measure intended
to be consumed, after all!
However, when in tablet form, they can easily
be mistaken for medications, vitamins, or candy, and children who gain access
to them can swallow them.
Water purifying chemicals are quite
irritating.
When used inappropriately, excessively, or
when swallowed whole, they lead to immediate irritation of the mouth, throat,
and stomach causing symptoms such as burning and irritation in the mouth and
throat, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
Iodine-based water purifiers can lead to more
severe, delayed and body-wide effects especially when used over a prolonged
period of time.
The risk of poisoning from water purifying
chemicals depends on many different factors such as a patient's age and overall
health and the amount and type of product swallowed.
Portable water purifying products have been
around for many years and can be useful tools for reducing water-borne
diseases.
Unintentional ingestions of these products
can occur because they look very similar to edible items.
Keeping these products in their original
packaging and separate from areas where food and medications are stored can
help avoid unintentional exposures.
Another important poison-prevention tip is to
pay close attention to and follow the directions for each product; the
chemicals' safety and effectiveness depend on it.
· Store
water purification chemicals out of reach and sight of children, preferably in
cabinets with child-resistant closures.
· Keep
water purification chemicals in their original container and away from food or
medicines.
· Use
water purification products only as directed by the manufacturer and for their
intended purpose.
This Really
Happened
A 13-month-old boy opened a bottle of water
purifying liquid containing chlorine dioxide. Relatives who were visiting from
overseas had brought it with them.
The boy's father was concerned that the
boy might have swallowed some of it and called Poison Control for advice.
After interviewing the father, Poison
Control determined that the boy would be able to tolerate the small amount he
might have swallowed.
Since chlorine dioxide is quite
irritating, the father was advised to give the child fluids to drink and to
monitor for nausea, vomiting, and signs of mouth or throat irritation.
Fortunately, no symptoms developed.
If you have any questions about water
purifying products or if someone has been exposed to a water purifying
chemical, check the webPOISONCONTROL® online
tool or call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 for guidance.
Serkalem Mekonnen, RN, BSN, MPH
Certified Specialist in Poison Information
Certified Specialist in Poison Information
Kristina Yee, BS, PharmD
Certified Specialist in Poison information
Certified Specialist in Poison information
Poison
Control
tells you what to do if you swallow, splash, or get stung by something that
might be harmful.
Use webPOISONCONTROL® online,
or call. Both services are free and confidential.
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