Water

WATER AND FOOD SAFETY

Stay healthy on your trips!

When You Camp or Backpack…

…you run a risk of illness ranging from the inconvenience and discomfort of diarrhea to more serious illnesses caused by protozoan cysts (i.e., Giardia, Cryptosporidium), viruses and bacteria.

The microorganisms that cause these diseases are often found in the food and water you consume. Lakes, streams and the local water supply may be contaminated. Use a water filter or water purifier -- its better to be safe than sorry.

And while you are traveling…

· • Make sure that prepared food is thoroughly cooked.

· • Select non-cooked foods (fruits, nuts, etc.) that have intact shells or skins, and clean your hands before peeling the food.

· • Disinfect your hands with soap and water (or hand sanitizer) thoroughly and often, especially before you eat. Filter all drinking water.

If there is any risk of viruses in the water, use a disinfectant or boil your water.

DRINK SAFE WATER WHEN HIKING AND CAMPING

The most dangerous animals are swimming in drinking water.

Contaminated water makes you sick

The most common consequence of contaminated water is diarrhea, But the “Classical” diarrhea encountered during journeys is not inescapable. Simple precautions are possible.

WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS TO USE CLEAN DRINKING WATER.

WHAT DOES WATER CONTAIN?

SURFACE WATER

The term surface water refers to standing or flowing bodies of water. It is normally a mixture of groundwater and spring and rainwater, although it may also contain wastewater. Streams, rivers and lakes may contain minerals in widely varying proportions. Because of the numerous organisms living in and around bodies of water, many organic substances, mostly metabolic, can be found in the water.

Frequently, surface water is contaminated by heavy metals and organic compounds introduced from agriculture, industrial plants and households.

All surface water contains various bacteria, viruses and protozoans.

Travel tip: Always filter and/or sanitize water you take from rivers, streams, lakes, springs, wells and cisterns. Bizarre forms of life can be found in water. Water-critters live in lakes, rivers and streams.

WATER TREATMENT METHODS AND POSSIBILITIES

BOILING

Boiling is one of the oldest and most effective methods for sterilizing water. But it requires sufficient time and energy in the form of wood, fuel or electricity. Boiling only eliminates micro-organisms. It will not cause the water to become clear, and chemical substances will remain inside. A good quality camp stove can boil water in a very few minutes.

The various pathogens in water have different heat sensitivities. Not all of them will be destroyed within the same time. To prevent diarrhea during trips, certain boiling times must be observed. Because you never know what germs the water contains, it is best to base treatment on the most resistant pathogens. At sea level, the boiling point of water is 100°C. Boiling it for five minutes is adequate. At 13,000 feet above sea level, the boiling point drops to 86.8°C. At this altitude, water must boil for 20 minutes.

MICROFILTRATION

Bacteria and protozoans are the most common micro-organisms found in drinking water. To remove the most common bacteria from water, a microfilter with a pore size no larger than 0.3 microns is required. Possible filtration media include ceramics, glass fibers and plastics. Protozoans such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium are much larger (1 to 15 microns) and can be retained by microfilters with pore sizes up to 1 micron.

Water filters are capable of mechanically retaining bacteria and protozoans, whereas chemical processes destroy the germs but do not remove them from the water.

In mechanical filtration using a microfilter, the water always passes directly through the filter. The particles are retained by the filter surface. The advantage of ceramic filters is that they can be cleaned and re-used several times. The flexibility of glass fibers allows the entire filter structure to be folded, creating an extremely large surface area in a small space. Glass fiber filters therefore have a very high contaminant absorption capacity. Katadyn is a trusted manufacturer of effective microfilters.

Safety first: Clean drinking water can be produced from any stream or fountain using a water filter bottle.

ACTIVATED CARBON (ABSORPTION)

Organic and inorganic substances that enter water, air and soil are increasingly polluting our environment. Natural water sources always contain safe organic and inorganic substances. Humic acid, for example, is a soil component that produces a brownish water color when washed out of the soil. Harmful substances such as herbicides and pesticides typically occur in water only in very small quantities. They are only removed when the safety limits are exceeded in order to prevent health problems.

All of these water pollutants can be removed by filtration using activated carbon. In this process, the substances to be removed come into contact with the activated carbon, whose surfaces absorb them. Activated carbon is available in the form of loose pellets or compressed blocks. Carbon blocks have a much denser structure than carbon pellets and therefore offer a longer contact path for adsorbing chemical contaminants. The surface of the activated carbon will reach its saturation limit more or less quickly as a function of the contaminant loading of the water. Several models of water filters using activated carbon are offered by Katadyn.

Water is life and a source of health and well-being. More than 6000 years ago, the first advanced cultures evolved in Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Their prosperity was based on an elaborate system of dams and waterways designed for irrigation and drainage.

ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT

UV light destroys the DNA of waterborne microbes: bacteria, viruses, and parasitic protozoa. It’s a fast route to pure, safe drinking water with no chemical taste, odor or risky side effects but often is not fully effective if the water is turbid. Murky water needs to be filtered for UV to be effective.

MORE HYGIENE MEANS LESS DISEASE

HYGIENE TIPS FOR CAMPING AND TRAVELLING

CAREFUL, CONSISTENT HYGIENIC PRECAUTIONS IN EATING FOOD AND DRINKING WATER ARE A MUST.

And while you are traveling…

· Make sure that prepared food is thoroughly cooked.

· Select non-cooked foods (fruits, nuts, etc.) that have intact shells or skins, and clean your hands before peeling the food.

· Pack only fruits, raw vegetables and salads that have been cleaned with germ-free water.

· Disinfect your hands with soap and water (or Katadyn Klean Hand Sanitizer) thoroughly and often, especially before you eat. Filter all drinking water with your KatadynVario Water Microfilter.

· If there is any risk of viruses in the water, use a disinfectant such as Micropur MF1T or boil your water.

· Beware of bottled fruit juices that contain sugar, as this creates an ideal culture for bacterial growth.

· To brush your teeth, always use germ-free water; even a gulp of contaminated water may lead to diarrhea.

· Take medication only with germ-free water; diarrhea may affect its effectiveness (e.g. tablets).

· Wash your hands regularly, especially before handling food and after using the toilet.

· Always use clean hand towels

How to treat diarrhea

It is important for people afflicted with diarrhea, especially in warm regions, to replace the lost fluids and the electrolytes dissolved in them. This is best achieved using electrolyte and sugar mixtures, which are available in almost all countries. Other effective liquids include bouillon, fruit juices and lightly sweetened teas. An uncomplicated case of travel diarrhea can be alleviated with inhibiting-inhibiting medication. A doctor should be consulted when fever or bleeding occurs or if the disorder lasts for several days without improving.