i am happy as the proverbial pig in poop to bring you this marvelously simple way to disinfect water.
from the "washington--oregon: game & fish" journal, april 2011, volume 2011, no. 3, at page 56 by "alan james garbers, the article entitled "sodis: clean water for outdoor enthusiasts." [sodis ='s solar water disinfection.] --
"clean drinking water is something we all take for granted in our modern society, but we're only one natural disaster away from being knocked back to the stone age. the recent earthquakes in haiti and flooding in china and pakistan are stark reminders of how fragile our grip on civilization is. without safe drinking water our health is forfeit, with diarrhea and dehydration being just a fw of the ailments that may overcome us. in some cases, life and death hangs in the balance.
"even if there isn't a disaster, clean water is a 'must' in any outdoor activity like hiking, canoeing or hunting. the more exertion an activity rquirs, the more water you need to stay fit and alert. the problem is that producing sanitry water can be labor-intensive or expensive. however, thanks to recent research, it doesn't need to be that way.
"sodis, an acronym for solar water disinfection, is a way to sanitize water naturally. while other purification methods use boiling, ceramic filters, chemicals or electrically produced uv, sodis uses the natural uv-a in sunlight to eliminate any dangerous viruses, bacteria and common protozoa in drinking water, including giarda and cryptosporidia.
how it works
"using the sodis method couldn't be much simpler and this is the reason for its use worldwide. all that is needed is a clear closed container. while some glass bottles or plastic pouches can be used, most common are the disposable drinking water bottles made from polyethylene terephthalate (pet or pete plastic.) almost every disposable water and sports drink bottle is made from pet. an embossed triangle with pete next to it on the bottle will confirm what it is made from.
"using sodis is simple. after cleaning the bottle and removing any labels, the bottle is filled with water and laid on its side in the full sunlight. after six hours, any dangerous living organisms will have been killed and the water is safe to drink. it's that easy!! to help the process, place the bottle on something dark or reflective to heat the water as well. heating the water to 122 degrees (50 degrees centigrade) speeds the process, shortening the time to two hours!!
while the sodis method is simple, there are limitations.--
*sodis will not filter out dangerous chemicals like oil, fertilizers or poisons. it also will not change the taste of the water.
*the water must be clean enough for sunlight to penetrate all the way through the water. a good rule of thumb is if you can see through the bottle from top to bottom, it's clean enough to use sodis. if you can't, then the water needs to be filtered through a clean cloth, paper towels, coffee filters or some other means to eliminate sediment.
*the bottle must be clear. the same brown and green coloring that keeps beer and other beverages from being affected by sunlight also keeps uv rays from killing all the organisms. old, scratched bottles will also not be effective.
*the bottle must be smaller than 3 liters in size. any larger and the uv rays may not be able to penetrate through all the water.
*the bottles must be laid down so that the sunlight can easily pass through. it is best to lay them on something that radiates heat back into the bottle. while it isn't necessary to do this, doing so speeds the process.
*keep the water in the bottle until used. pouring it into another non-sterile container can re-contaminate it.
*if the sun doesn't shine for six hours in a day, let the bottle sit for two days.
"after purifying the water, store it in a dark place or algae may start to grow. while the growth is not harmful, it is unappealing.
"any hiker, hunter or canoeist that travels the wild places knows this method beats the constant hassle of filtering water. fill the bottles in the morning, strap them on top of a canoe or back pack, or place them next to your tent and by dinner you will have all the drinking water you need.
"if you ever get lost or stranded, one of the most common pieces of trash is a pet bottle. follow the sodis method and that trash is treasure.
"for more information go to http://www.sodis.ch/index_en ."
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