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stranger
01-01-2003, 21:33
No more filters for me, YES!!!

Wander Yonder
01-01-2003, 22:57
Stranger, I've decided to leave the filter home and just go with Aqua Mira, too.

I put a lot of stock in Chris Townsend's advice and that is what he uses.

If the water is discolored or doesn't look too good, I may just add some instant tea or Crystal Light to it to mask the murk! :D

Also, in colder weather, I will just boil the water I use in cooking and hot drinks.

stranger
01-02-2003, 00:28
I've been using my filter over here in NZ but just recently found Aqua Mira the other day, was very excited but it's costs $35 over here! So the filter goes home tomorrow!

RagingHampster
01-02-2003, 11:05
HOLD ON A MINUTE!

They say their product eliminates bacteria, and improves coloration and taste, but a primary filter is needed to remove cysts. Fortunately the Silt Stopper II pre-filter I am going to use strains cysts from the water being drawn. I'd suggest you solo-aquamira users check into this...

DebW
01-02-2003, 14:08
It seems that McNett doesn't want to make claims about AquaMira except that it contains ClO2 and will kill bacteria. But independent studies I've seen seem to indicate that is also kills cysts and viruses. Cyst inactivation with AquaMira is better than with bleach or iodine, though all may require considerable contact time.

According to the Pristine web page (same chemical as AquaMira, different manufacturer):

Cl02 kills the following:

* viruses
* bacteria
* giardia
* cryptosporidium
* botulism
* e. coli
* cholera
*

Cl02 Eliminates the following:

* many pollutants found in waste water
* cyanides in wastewater
* nitrites and sulfides
* potential carcinogenic substances such as 3,4-benzopyrene
* iron and manganese in water
* tastes and odors produced by algae
* the dyes produced by chlorophyll and plants
* pesticides

Cl02 Advantages:

* Does not produce THMs as chlorine does
* Does not give rise to the formation of chloroform and bromochloromethane as chlorine does
* Does not react with ammonia, nitrogenous compounds or precursors to form chloroform as chlorine does
* Does not affect the thyroid gland as iodine does

Anyway, I still view prefiltering as a good idea to reduce the number of cysts as well as organic matter and viruses or bacteria attached to the organic matter. Prefiltering should increase the efficiency (or decrease the required contact time) for chemical treatments. Note that the siltstopper is 5 microns, whereas giardia cysts are 6 microns and crypto cysts are 4-6 microns. So some cysts may make it through a siltstopper. If water looks clear, I would probably omit prefiltering. But for murky water I would feel safer prefiltering before chemical treatment.

RagingHampster
01-02-2003, 14:21
Thanks for the very informative info Deb.

Moose2001
01-02-2003, 14:58
I beleive Giardia and Crypto are cysts (at a stage in their life) Here's some info from the EPA's webpage.

Giardia lamblia (commonly referred to as Giardia) are single-celled microbes contained in a group known as protozoa. When ingested, they can cause a gastrointestinal disease called giardiasis. Giardiasis is a frequent cause of diarrhea. Symptoms may include diarrhea, fatigue, and cramps. Waterborne giardiasis may occur as a result of disinfection problems or inadequate filtration procedures. Cysts are a stage in the life-cycle of some Giardia. In this stage, the Giardia can infect humans and other animals.

Cryptosporidium is a single-celled microbe contained in a group generally known as protozoa. Cryptosporidium may cause a disease, cryptosporidiosis, when ingested. Cryptosporidiosis symptoms can range from mild stomach upset to life threatening disease in those who are immunocompromised (e.g., people with severely compromised immune systems). Oocysts are a stage in the life-cycle of some Cryptosporidium. In this stage, the Cryptosporidium can infect humans and other animals.

peter2003
01-02-2003, 15:07
I have used the stuff for a couple of years and will continue to use it when I go to Georgia. The stuff tast OK and seems to work, however, in 2001 when the water was scarce in New England I got Giardia after using the stuff. If the water does not look good you and pre-filter the water thru a shirt. The filters I used in the past always would get pluged up.

RagingHampster
01-02-2003, 16:30
Well I just finished ordering all the stuff for my custom pre-filter, along with two sets of aquamira. The 5 micron siltstopper 2 pre-filter system weighs only one ounce, and a refill pack of three filter components weighs only 1 ounce. I think the difficulty in aquamira treating excessively dirty water is it's inability to penetrate dense groupings of biological material. Perhaps filtering any globules larger than 5 microns will help the chlorine dioxide do it's job.

stranger
01-02-2003, 21:25
Atleast in New Zealand Aqua Mira claims to kill bacteria, virus, and protozoan including E Coli, Hepatitis A, Poliovirus, Giardia and Cryptosporidium. From what I've heard the US won't give it that classification...I don't know why?

brown bess
01-03-2003, 13:20
what is the difference between aqua mira and polar pur?

advantages and disadvantages to each???
thanks.

brown bess *never touched the stuff...