Iodine banned?

[bushblade]

Yesterday I visited Tamarak outdoors and got chatting with the guy there about water purification. He was saying that it was now against the law to sell iodine based systems for water purification :yikes:, which I was extremely shocked and surprised to hear.

I hadn't heard anything about this before and was somewhat scepitcal so I decieded t investigate further.

As far as I can tell its not against the law but is on a list of chemicals not being supported under the EU Biocides Directive. List available to download here.

But fear not! Tincture of iodine is still available to buy over the counter at most chemists, who sell it as an antiseptic. The ban is only on Iodine for human consumption. This is where I get mine anyway as its the same stuff branded for water purification but at a fraction of the price.

I am aware of a few retailers which post on here so to them I would advise contacting Thornton and Ross and stocking the 25ml bottles of Iodine tincture as an antiseptic, leaving it up to the final user as to the application.

If anyone else has any more information I'd be interested to hear.

 

[calibanzwei]

Yup, since October last year

 

[JonathanD]

But why? That is the question. Are iodine blocks for budgies banned too?

 

[Lurch]

Simply it's because the costs of getting it certified for usage are too high versus the level of sales.
Iodine per se isn't banned just the sale of it for the usage for water purification purposes.

 

[JonathanD]

Good, so Squeeks is OK then....

 

[TJRoots]

i've got one answer to this. f@@cking EU.

VOTE UKIP!

TJ

 

[Laurentius]

What is rather stupid here is the fact that iodine is often part of the first stage treatment of something which is then going to be filtered so there is no chance of being contaminated with the iodine.

Me I would much rather see chlorine banned in swimming pools, horrible stuff.

 

[Lurch]

No, you miss the point. It isn't potential ingestion of iodine that is at issue it is the efficacy of iodine as a biocide for water purification. Whilst we all know it works, it is not certified and therefore cannot be sold for that purpose.

 

[JonathanD]

No, you miss the point. It isn't potential ingestion of iodine that is at issue it is the efficacy of iodine as a biocide for water purification. Whilst we all know it works, it is not certified and therefore cannot be sold for that purpose.

Great, what genius is responsible for that?

 

[Lurch]

EU regs. Not sure which one.

 

[JonathanD]

EU regs. Not sure which one.

Nuff said really :aargh4:

 

[Chinkapin]

Iodine is used in the manufacture of methamphetamine. I expect its availability will be seriously curtailed in the near future. By the way it is also sold under the name of Lugol's Solution. It is the same thing. Iodine and distilled water. You might try that route. Lugol's Solution is mostly sold to biology labs, etc. but has been used in human consumption for probably over a hundred years. Safe if used properly. The occasional disinfecting of water with it would not hurt you if you used the proper proportions.

 

[Martyn]

Simply it's because the costs of getting it certified for usage are too high versus the level of sales.

Just want to point out here, testing one chemical is no more or less expensive than testing another. It doesnt cost any more to test iodine than it costs to test chlorine.

No, you miss the point. It isn't potential ingestion of iodine that is at issue it is the efficacy of iodine as a biocide for water purification. Whilst we all know it works, it is not certified and therefore cannot be sold for that purpose.

Lurch, do you know what this has done to the legality of iodine impregnated water cleaning systems like the Drink-Safe and Aquapure Traveller?

 

[Lurch]

From experience of similar EU regulations I believe this makes their sale for water purification purposes similarly illegal, the manufacturers are under the impression that they are exempt because the iodine is not transmitted to the water for ingestion.
I believe they are wrong because it is not the safety for ingestion that is at issue but it's promotion as a biocide for water purification purposes. That being the case I believe it only a matter of time before they are told to pack it in or get certified.
For the time being it's business as usual for them.

 

[Harley]

EU Biocides Directive: http://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/bpd/