How to filter heavy metals and arsenic from stream water?

[Tagaeri]

The woods I own are in an old mining area and so there's a risk that the stream water might be contaminated with heavy metals (including arsenic).

I bought a Pure Hydration Thirst Aid Bag, as it was the only filter I could find that was listed as being able to eliminate heavy metals. However, a quick email to the manufacturer revealed that it can in fact only remove some heavy metals, and not arsenic. Glad I checked! I'm pretty angry with Pure Hydration for the potentially dangerous misleading information they are using to advertise their products.

So, I'm on the look out for a new hiking water filter system that will deal with heavy metals, including arsenic. Does anyone have any suggestions?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ozzy1977]

First up I would contact trading standards over the misleading info

 

[rg598]

From what I know there is no such backpacking system. Activated charcoal will remove some such elements, but not much.

 

[Tagaeri]

So are there any strategies for avoiding water contaminated with heavy metals? Or is this a somewhat overlooked area of collecting safe drinking water?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tom.moran]

maybe have your water tested to see if it does infact contain arsenic?

 

[Teepee]

PUR list arsenic as removable with their flocculant system; http://www.amazon.co.uk/Reliance-Products-Clean-Drinking-Water/dp/B00111F4T4

Apparently, the arsenic reacts with the iron flocculant along with some other heavy metals and can then be filtered out.

 

[Tagaeri]

maybe have your water tested to see if it does infact contain arsenic?

Yep, got a test kit on order, though that won't help when I'm camping/hiking elsewhere.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Tagaeri]

PUR list arsenic as removable with their flocculant system; http://www.amazon.co.uk/Reliance-Products-Clean-Drinking-Water/dp/B00111F4T4

Apparently, the arsenic reacts with the iron flocculant along with some other heavy metals and can then be filtered out.

Thanks! Not sure how much of a hiking option that is though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Teepee]

Thanks! Not sure how much of a hiking option that is though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I gather it's just a case of dropping the powder sachets into a container with the water, then filtering out with a paper filter. It was designed for 3rd world use to supply clean drinking water from contaminated sources in an easy way that people would actually use.

Could you leave a container of water there and treat it in batches?

 

[Toddy]

I don't know of any lightweight, or low bulk, kit that will do what you ask. I'd be delighted to be proved wrong though

Teepee those sachet things sound very interesting A link would be appreciated. The less HWMBLT needs to carry on his back then happier I'll be

Two things do work however....collect from rainwater in low sky pollution areas, and not water that's on the ground. The run off from your tarp for instance....or learn which plants have water in their stems that you can safely drink. It won't be enough for a kettle, unless you get something like birch in the Spring in a waterlogged bit of ground, but it'll give you a drink.

Otherwise, if you're worried about the potential of heavy metals and poisons in the water, you'll just need to carry it in.

atb,
Toddy

 

[Teepee]

Some more info; http://www.butylproducts.co.uk/catalogue/PUR/

A 4g sachet treats 10l. This actually looks quite promising for backpacking.

 

[Bluffer]

In order of preference, I would...
1. Ignore the risk (2 litres of water once a month for the next 40 years probably wouldn't cause much harm).
2. Take safe water from home in my pack.
3. Use a reverse-osmosis set from a lifeboat survival pack.

 

[Jared]

Some more info; http://www.butylproducts.co.uk/catalogue/PUR/

A 4g sachet treats 10l. This actually looks quite promising for backpacking.

Believe the US military now uses a flocculation agent in their water purification.

Named Chlor-Floc, NSN 6850-01-352-6129

Comes in 600mg sachets where 1 or 2 are good for a litre.

£9 for 30 sachets.

http://www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/us-military-issue-water-purification-powder-277-p.asp


Taken from http://www.traditioncreek.com/storefront/chlorfloc-water-purification-packets-p-2586.html

Directions for using Water Purification Tablets: Directions call for the user to fill the plastic bag with 1L of water, add 1 tablet, close and shake bag until tablet dissolves, then swirl the bag for 10 seconds. Let the bag sit for 4 minutes, swirl again for 10 seconds, then let the bag sit an additional 15 minutes. After 15 minutes pour the water through one of the filter pouches and into a separate container (i.e., a canteen) taking care not to pour the sediment into the filter pouch. Rinse the sediment from the plastic bag and save bag for future treatment. Depending on the temperature of the water being treated 1 or 2 tablets are added. Waters warmer than 5 C require only 1 tablet while waters 5 C or colder require 2 tablets. In all cases the wait time is approximately 20 minutes (4-minute and 15-minute wait times), except when treating warmer waters (25 C) when only a total of approximately 12 minutes is required (4-minute and 7-minute wait times). The filter pouches can be reused if cleaned thoroughly with treated water. The user should always be sure to use the same side of the filter pouch for straining. The tablets should be stored in their sealed tablet wrappers away from excessive heat or direct sunlight.

 

[Teepee]

Believe the US military now uses a flocculation agent in their water purification.

Named Chlor-Floc, NSN 6850-01-352-6129

Comes in 600mg sachets where 1 or 2 are good for a litre.

£9 for 30 sachets.

http://www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/us-military-issue-water-purification-powder-277-p.asp


Taken from http://www.traditioncreek.com/storefront/chlorfloc-water-purification-packets-p-2586.html

Directions for using Water Purification Tablets: Directions call for the user to fill the plastic bag with 1L of water, add 1 tablet, close and shake bag until tablet dissolves, then swirl the bag for 10 seconds. Let the bag sit for 4 minutes, swirl again for 10 seconds, then let the bag sit an additional 15 minutes. After 15 minutes pour the water through one of the filter pouches and into a separate container (i.e., a canteen) taking care not to pour the sediment into the filter pouch. Rinse the sediment from the plastic bag and save bag for future treatment. Depending on the temperature of the water being treated 1 or 2 tablets are added. Waters warmer than 5 C require only 1 tablet while waters 5 C or colder require 2 tablets. In all cases the wait time is approximately 20 minutes (4-minute and 15-minute wait times), except when treating warmer waters (25 C) when only a total of approximately 12 minutes is required (4-minute and 7-minute wait times). The filter pouches can be reused if cleaned thoroughly with treated water. The user should always be sure to use the same side of the filter pouch for straining. The tablets should be stored in their sealed tablet wrappers away from excessive heat or direct sunlight.

I checked them out briefly this morning but couldn't find any info on removal of heavy metals on their site. They also do Watermaker sachets that look to be similar.

 

[Jared]

I checked them out briefly this morning but couldn't find any info on removal of heavy metals on their site. They also do Watermaker sachets that look to be similar.

http://www.watermakersachets.com/watermaker_faq.html under the Q What is the flocculant in Watermaker.

"assist in the removal of heavy toxins like arsenic, parathion etc"

Whilst don't expect any 100% removal claims, "assist" doesn't inspire a lot of confidence.

Edit:
Ah the watermaker PDF is better

CF Watermaker® sludge has powerful absorptive properties. The most
significant tests conducted to date are the removal of:

a. Arsenic
Before treatment 20mg/litre
After treatment not detectable

b. Parathion
before treatment 5mg/litre
After treatment 0.07mg/litre


http://www.watermakersachets.com/downloads/Wmaker.pdf

 

[Teepee]

http://www.watermakersachets.com/watermaker_faq.html under the Q What is the flocculant in Watermaker.

"assist in the removal of heavy toxins like arsenic, parathion etc"

Whilst don't expect any 100% removal claims, "assist" doesn't inspire a lot of confidence.

doesn't do much for me either.

I'm going to carry on digging a bit to satisfy my curiosity. There's some scientific papers I found that tested these for the military and aid organisations.

 

[Parbajtor]

Distillation is the only sure way, but then somehow you have to put the "flavour" back into the water.

 

[Tagaeri]

Some more info; http://www.butylproducts.co.uk/catalogue/PUR/

A 4g sachet treats 10l. This actually looks quite promising for backpacking.

Yes, that does look quite good actually.

 

[Tagaeri]

Believe the US military now uses a flocculation agent in their water purification.

Named Chlor-Floc, NSN 6850-01-352-6129

Comes in 600mg sachets where 1 or 2 are good for a litre.

£9 for 30 sachets.

http://www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/us-military-issue-water-purification-powder-277-p.asp


Taken from http://www.traditioncreek.com/storefront/chlorfloc-water-purification-packets-p-2586.html

Directions for using Water Purification Tablets: Directions call for the user to fill the plastic bag with 1L of water, add 1 tablet, close and shake bag until tablet dissolves, then swirl the bag for 10 seconds. Let the bag sit for 4 minutes, swirl again for 10 seconds, then let the bag sit an additional 15 minutes. After 15 minutes pour the water through one of the filter pouches and into a separate container (i.e., a canteen) taking care not to pour the sediment into the filter pouch. Rinse the sediment from the plastic bag and save bag for future treatment. Depending on the temperature of the water being treated 1 or 2 tablets are added. Waters warmer than 5 C require only 1 tablet while waters 5 C or colder require 2 tablets. In all cases the wait time is approximately 20 minutes (4-minute and 15-minute wait times), except when treating warmer waters (25 C) when only a total of approximately 12 minutes is required (4-minute and 7-minute wait times). The filter pouches can be reused if cleaned thoroughly with treated water. The user should always be sure to use the same side of the filter pouch for straining. The tablets should be stored in their sealed tablet wrappers away from excessive heat or direct sunlight.

Thanks! These actually look very good.

 

[Tagaeri]

doesn't do much for me either.

I'm going to carry on digging a bit to satisfy my curiosity. There's some scientific papers I found that tested these for the military and aid organisations.

Did your digging turn up anything?