We Share Our Easy and Effective Options For Water Purification, Which Can Save Your Life In The Zombie Apocalypse or a Simple Trip to Mexico
Whether you are traveling abroad, backpacking in the wilderness, or find yourself in a survival situation, water is absolutely crucial. A safe, effective water purification technique can literally save your life!
Over 1 billion people on Earth lack access to clean drinking water [1]. Insufficient infrastructure and/or pollution contribute to the problem.
According to former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan: “Water-related diseases kill a child every eight seconds, and are responsible for 80 per cent of all illnesses and deaths in the developing world –- a situation made all the more tragic by our long-standing knowledge that these diseases are easily preventable.” [2]
The World Health Organization reports: “More than five million human beings die from illnesses linked to unsafe drinking water, unclean domestic environments and improper excreta disposal” every year...Over 2 million deaths occur each year from water-related diarrhea alone, caused by pathogen contamination in the drinking water...Indeed, at any given time, almost half of the people in developing countries suffer from water-related diseases.” [3]
Microbes from bacteria to viruses to protozoa to parasites are responsible for a several water borne diseases such as:
- Amebiasis
- Campylobacteriosis
- Cholera
- Giardiasis AKA beaver fever
- Hepatitis
- Shigellosis
- Typhoid fever
None of these are pleasant, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe.
Symptoms can include [4]:
- Headache
- Fever
- Muscle cramps
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Bloody stool
- Flatulence
- Bloating
- Chills
- Rash
- Loss of appetite
- Abdominal pain
- Constipation
These conditions can be fatal in people with weakened immune systems or if left untreated. Diarrhea, for example, leads to dehydration that must be addressed. However, if the water supply is contaminated, then drinking more water is not necessarily beneficial! Additionally, diarrhea is easily passed through the population, especially in areas that lack proper sanitation.
Given the importance of water to health, water quality is a worthwhile consideration.
Both iodine and colloidal silver are safe and effective solutions for water purification, making potable drinking water accessible virtually anywhere! [5, 6]
Iodine oxidizes germ cell structure and enzymes, thereby killing the microbes that cause water borne disease [7]. Colloidal silver acts through a few mechanisms, including dissolving bacteria cell walls [8].
These are safe and effective solutions we have found for purifying water, and they are well-respected and established methods at that. If you're going to be on the move, they are also convenient!
IODINE
Use 5-10 drops of 2% iodine tincture in every 32 ounces of water and allow sit for 30 minutes (taste may be bitter). This method is less effective against giardia in cold water [9].
COLLOIDAL SILVER
With a high quality colloidal silver, use 4 drops per 32 oz and wait 15 minutes. Make sure to purify the rim of your container before drinking from it too! If you are in the wild, running water is better than still water for filling containers. You can use a cloth or bandana to filter out particulates.
In summary, water is a vector for disease in many parts of the world. Common symptoms are abdominal pain and diarrhea, which can range from mild to severe. Nobody wants to get sick, especially when traveling or camping or trying to survive the zombie apocalypse, so easy, safe, and effective options for water purification can be valuable additions to your suitcase or bug out bag.
Iodine and colloidal silver are two options we have found for reliable, clean water, and additionally they both have numerous other health benefits!
1. http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/34/3/355.full
2. http://www.un.org/press/en/2003/sgsm8707.doc.htm
3. http://www.pacinst.org/app/uploads/2013/02/water_related_deaths_report3.pdf
4. http://www.symptomfind.com/health/waterborne-diseases/
5. http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/34/3/355.full
6. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10934529.2014.897149
7. http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/34/3/355.full
8. https://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Silver_as_an_Antimicrobial_Agent
9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1272173/
www.intothegardenofeden.com
Wow I was only just talking to someone about colloidal silver helping with more serious medication conditions. Didn't know it could be used for making drinking water safe as well.
Colloidal silver is great for a number of conditions and situations. We always keep it on hand, plus it doesn't "expire" or go bad. Grateful we could share this important info with you, @stephen-somers!
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The title of this post ... "a simple trip to Mexico" ? ... It could be easily replaced by " a simple trip to "Flint, Michigan", right?
Have you guys ever traveled to Mexico to state that there is no clean water there?
It will not assist the water in Flint. One would need a chelator to remove the Pb, not that colloidal silver won't kill you anyway.
@justtryme90 you are correct in that colloidal silver will not remove lead, but iodine will. High quality colloidal silver has not killed any one in the history of its use. We still recommend you research colloidal silver as you obviously haven't yet, and perhaps it would interest you to look into iodine as well. But again, you have a free will and are welcome to do whatever you want. No one here is suggesting you consume anything that makes you uncomfortable!
Iodine would precipitate lead iodide yes.
@danilamarilu Yes we have travelled to Mexico, yes we have been in places where the water is not potable, yes we have used colloidal silver to sanitize it and have consumed it without getting sick. No we did not claim that there is no clean water in Mexico, but it is fact that there are many places in Mexico as well as across the world where the people do not have drinkable water and we could have inserted any number of locations to make the same point.
Yes the city of Flint has been using lead pipes to supply municipal water, but colloidal silver is ineffective against that. Iodine, however, is excellent for detoxing metals, halogens, and even radiation, and there are programs in effect to supply the people of Flint with iodine to counteract the poisonous water they have there.
@gardenofeden I also have traveled through many states in Mexico and only at the very border with the USA is where I found there was no drinking water.
I feel like the tittle of this post is making a bad reference of a country that receives travelers and tourists with an open heart, and again, in my 8 months through Chiapas, Oaxaca, Mexico City, Guerrero, Veracruz, Chihuahua, and Sonora I only experienced troubles finding drinking water in the border with the USA.
Cheers @gardenofeden
This post has nothing to do with that country's hospitality, nor does it judge/ accuse/condemn @danilamarilu. Poetic license is exercised to compare an "unlikely" SHTF scenario where clean water might be scarce (the zombie apocalypse) to something that happens every single day and perhaps feels a little closer to home (a simple trip to Mexico). The comparison is drawn 1) for humor, and 2) to demonstrate how far-reaching and widespread is this issue. The facts are that impure water leads to illness and death across the globe, but there are plenty of options available for water purification, so to us it makes sense to be prepared. As stated before, we could have used any number of locations to make the same point.
I understand, thank you for taking time to express your point to me. Cheers @gardenofeden.
The information was handy but I admit I upvoted mostly for the title XP
LOL glad we can provide some entertainment & information for you @ryivhnn!
Interesting read. Thanks for the info.
You're welcome!
My family swears by colloidal silver.
It's powerful stuff! We love it so much we want to share it far and wide!