Dear B-A,
I have recently come across LifeStraw http://www.vestergaard-frandsen.com/lifestraw , a small (22cm x 3.5cm), lightweight (approx 30g) tube, with a mouth-piece at one end. It will filter out a minimum of 99.9% of bacteria, viruses and protozoans. With a LifeStraw, you can safely drink water from sources which you would normally hesitate to wash in. A personal LifeStraw will purify up to 1000 litres of water ( or to put it into context, the equivalent to one pallet of bottled water). There is also a “family” LifeStraw, which has a grater flow rate and is capable of purifying up to 18,00 litres of water, which would be useful for use in semi-permanent camps.. While our town water supplies are, usually, drinkable, having to cart your own water everywhere can be a bit of a pain. Being able to safely drink water from just about any creek, dam or water-hole, does have its advantages, especially if you are stuck out in the bush somewhere. A useful thing to add to your emergency kit. Unfortunately I don’t think it will make bore water any more palatable.
I bought a couple from the local agent http://www.lifestraw.com.au/default.asp , cost $20.95 + p&p. I am going to Sabah next month and will try mine out in a variety of waters. It will be interesting to see what the Kinabatangan water tastes like.
Profits from sales of LifeStraw are used to subsidise the distribution of LifeStraw to individuals and communities in the third world. A nice idea, buy one and reduce your own water supply costs when birding and help save the lives of others.
I have no affiliation commercial or otherwise with LifeStraw, apart from being a customer who thinks it is a brilliant concept.
Cheers,
Carl Clifford
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It is not clear to me on a quick skim through if the personal & the family models have the same performance. Nevertheless I would be happy to use it either way.
It seems to achieve a similar filtration performance in terms of pathogens & viruses removed as the latest systems used in Australia for town water supplies (Membrane Ultrafiltration http:// http://www.gewater.com/products/equipment/mf_uf_mbr/uf.jsp) , & better than the sand filter + chlorination system we currently drink from Sydney’ s Prospect Reservoir.
The British mission schools in Kenya in the 50’s & 60’s used to boil all the drinking water to prevent sickness among the children. It worked fine until they went home in the holidays & some died from drinking the water they had been brought up on. The fix was to use sand filters instead of boiling which allowed some traces through that kept their immunities up. (I dont have a reference as I heard it on Radio National many years ago.) Chris
Chris Charles 0412 911 184 licole@ozemail.com.au 33deg 47’30″S 151deg10’09″E
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Thanks for this clarification Carl. There’s obviously a discrepancy between what is stated in Wiki and what is stated on the LifeStraw packaging.
If the LifeStraw can filter out water particles down to 0.2 micron, it would indeed filter out nearly all bacteria, amoeboid protozoans and some viruses . But my concern still remains with respect to viruses, because the size range of many of them is 0.005 to 0.3 micron. Perhaps those viruses that occur in potenial drinking water are among the larger viruses (>0.2 micron across)?
Stephen Ambrose
BTW Stephen, I have just looked at the packaging of my LifeStraw and it says that LifeStraw filters out particles down to 0.2 microns. Be happy to send you a scan of the packaging. But then again Google knows best.
Cheers,
Carl Clifford
Most viruses are within the 5 to 300 nanometers (5 to 300 millionths of a millimetre) size range.
Most bacteria range in size from 0.2 to 2.0 microns (0.2 to 2.0 one thousandths of a millimetre)
According to Wikipedia, Lifestraw filters out water particles that are as small as 15 microns.
Amoebozoa vary greatly in size, but many are only 10 to 20 microns across. However, others are several 100s microns across.
Based on this information, it would appear that the Lifestraw would not be very reliable in filtering out waterborne viruses and bacteria or some protozoans from drinking water.
Stephen Ambrose Ryde NSW
BTW Stephen, I have just looked at the packaging of my LifeStraw and it says that LifeStraw filters out particles down to 0.2 microns. Be happy to send you a scan of the packaging. But then again Google knows best.
Cheers,
Carl Clifford
Most viruses are within the 5 to 300 nanometers (5 to 300 millionths of a millimetre) size range.
Most bacteria range in size from 0.2 to 2.0 microns (0.2 to 2.0 one thousandths of a millimetre)
According to Wikipedia, Lifestraw filters out water particles that are as small as 15 microns.
Amoebozoa vary greatly in size, but many are only 10 to 20 microns across. However, others are several 100s microns across.
Based on this information, it would appear that the Lifestraw would not be very reliable in filtering out waterborne viruses and bacteria or some protozoans from drinking water.
Stephen Ambrose Ryde NSW
If I remember rightly Denise, the recommendation was about 8 folds of the cloth. As I have gone off wearing saris, I think I will rely on LifeStraw. As for the lotus tip, thanks, butI think I will stick to eating the seeds
Cheers,
Carl Clifford
Cloth filters ie saris folded several times, have been used in villages in Bangladesh and elsewhere and significantly reduce pathogens. I’ve drunk from muddy water using the stem of a lotus, Nelumbo nucifera, as a filter. Be really careful doing this in the Top End though! Denise
Most viruses are within the 5 to 300 nanometers (5 to 300 millionths of a millimetre) size range.
Most bacteria range in size from 0.2 to 2.0 microns (0.2 to 2.0 one thousandths of a millimetre)
According to Wikipedia, Lifestraw filters out water particles that are as small as 15 microns.
Amoebozoa vary greatly in size, but many are only 10 to 20 microns across. However, others are several 100s microns across.
Based on this information, it would appear that the Lifestraw would not be very reliable in filtering out waterborne viruses and bacteria or some protozoans from drinking water.
Stephen Ambrose Ryde NSW
Cloth filters ie saris folded several times, have been used in villages in Bangladesh and elsewhere and significantly reduce pathogens. I’ve drunk from muddy water using the stem of a lotus, Nelumbo nucifera, as a filter. Be really careful doing this in the Top End though! Denise
Sounds like a great idea, however although it will “filter out a minimum of 99.9% of bacteria, viruses and protozoans” presumably it wouldn’t do anything about the chemical pollution of water, which might be a problem in intensively farmed areas.
John Leonard