Effect of water treatment on gut flora?

[Buck P]

I tried AquaMira last night (where you mix to drops together) and I could taste a chlorine-like taste/smell long after treating the water. What effect does this water have on your gut bacteria? If I can still taste the chemicals, doesn’t that mean that the solution is harmful to my gut flora and could actually cause diarrhea instead of preventing it?

[Pedestrian]

Good question – please exclusively drink Aquamira treated water for an extended period (six months?) and report back on your bowel changes. ;-)

A better way to get an answer might be to pose the question to thru-hikers that might have used Aquamira on their experience.

 

 

[Bob Moulder]

I’ve not used it on a thru but have used it several times for 3-4-5 day trips and have not noticed any ill effects.

My *assumption* has been that it’s a very dilute solution to begin with (once drops are put into the water) and that digestive enzymes break it down before it gets too far into the intestines.

Some people seem to notice the chlorine taste pretty distinctly. I notice it a little, but I have also observed that it sometimes makes really funky water taste a lot better… I’d rather taste a little chlorine than some swamp rot or whatever.

FWIW, which is my anecdotal sample of one. ;^/

[James Marco]

Well, I suspect a rather strong influence compared to other forms of water treatment. Filtering or boiling will influence taste, also. I believe only UV will not. If you are getting a strong chlorine smell, something is likely wrong somewhere. You should NOT have enough chlorine gas leftover to dissolve into the water or the air(smell.) But chemical reactions are difficult to tell from your description.
More info and several other links, here: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/phs/phs.asp?id=580&tid=108

[Ben H.]

I have the same concerns Buck.  I see no reason why it would not affect your gut flora and I think impact of gut flora to your overall health can be very nuanced.  I have heard of older backpackers that used iodine for water treatment and developed iodine sensitivity.

On the flip side chlorine has been used to treat municipal water supplies for a long time with no substantiated ill effects that I am aware of, however I suspect water out of your tap has significantly lower concentrations of the antibiotic chemicals.  It is also possible the less sanitary conditions of backpacking make up for whatever impact the chemicals have on your flora (i.e. you flora is getting more exercise than in you everyday sanitary life).

[Simon Kenton]

In 2015, I spent about 60 days on the trail, using AM almost daily and in varying amounts. I did not notice a discernible difference.

[Lester Moore]

A few years ago after using AquaMira for the first time on a 5 day trip I experienced some mild G.I. discomfort for about a week afterward. No way to know what caused it, but the symptoms were unusual for me. After using it on some shorter trips since then there have been no obvious recurrences of the symptoms.

If you search online you’ll find information about regulated toxic disinfection byproducts (DBPs) for chloraminated water treatment being less than traditional chlorination methods. However, there is evidence that unregulated DPB’s may be higher with chloramination. There’s also evidence of problems related to increased cancer risk and lead contamination (from pipes), which has no bearing on backpacking.

So maybe chloramine won’t extend your life, but is it likely any worse than chlorine treated tap water for your health or your gut flora, especially on shorter trips? The better taste of filtered water compared to AquaMira is worth carrying a few extra ounces IMHO, not to mention the questions about general health or gut flora with chemically treated water.

[Arthur]

The stomach pH is about 2.0 or less, and the acid is hydrochloric acid.   The amount of free chlorine added by drinking a few gallons per day at 1-3 parts per million would be a negligible increase compared to what is already there and would not pass thru to the small intestine.  Now, if you drink tons of high concentration chlorine, stick it in your nose, eyes, or other interesting places, or breath the gas, all bets are off.  Those tissues are not equipped to handle such an oxidizing chemical.  Iodine sensitivity is an immune related problem, nothing to do with toxicity or gut flora changes.  I would say the much greater risk for GI issues is lack of purification of the water using the chlorine.  Too little time, not high enough concentration, high presence of difficult to kill parasites in the water, etc., etc.

[Katherine .]

“Filtering or boiling will influence taste, also.”

How does filtering influence taste?

(I mean, asides from the time my squeeze got funky over the winter)

[David Thomas]

Actually, you DO want to be able to smell some chlorine at the end of the treatment period.  If you don’t, there may not have been enough free chlorine to oxidize the viruses, bacteria or parasites, thereby killing them.  For instance, if there was organic matter or even just sediment in the water, the chlorine can react with that before providing adequate biological treatment.  For the exposure times we use (tens of minutes, depending on temperature), you need a few parts per million, ppm, of chlorine.  Most people can smell that if they stick their nose close to the surface of the water, especially in the head space of a wide-mouthed water bottle.

Municipal water supplies are also chlorinated, but at lower levels, around 1 ppm (it depends on time and temperature – if there is a longer minimum residence time in the system, a lower level can be used).  At 1 ppm, some people can smell the chlorine, but under fewer conditions.

So most of us drink chlorinated water all of the time, albeit at 1/3 the level of when we backpack.

Free chlorine is not going to make it past your stomach.  It will react with the food in your stomach, or the stomach lining itself.  The bacteria in your stomach, like Helicopter pylori are pretty tough, unlike the ones in your lower GI tract.  If chlorinated water could kill them, that would be used for treating ulcers instead of antibiotics.

Lots of things could give you diarrhea while backpacking, poor sanitation (hand washing!) chief among them.  Changes in sleep, diet, and exercise can leave me somewhat constipated or loose stooled as I adjust.  It’s why I use my first two days as transitions from around-town type food to a fully backpacking diet.  For some, fear or discomfort with using a cathole can cause literal anal retention.  On every two-night Scout trip, some boys manage to not poop the whole time until they’re back to modern facilities.  They need to relax about it.  And most eventually do.

If we don’t have a rigorous approach to sanitation while we spend days without running water but cooking, eating, snacking, pooping, and scratching ourselves through the day; then $#!+ happens.

[John S.]

Your stomach secretes hydrochloric acid…aquamira can’t touch that. But do avoid those aquamira suppositories.

[Rex Sanders]

How does filtering influence taste?

Some of the larger chunks removed by filtering have a definite taste, but it’s rarely a big difference.

Some filters also have charcoal that removes lots of “flavors” in water.

— Rex

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

I’ve always hated the smell/taste in treated water….but that is because the majority of my life I was on well water (and for some years it was an artesian well). However. I have been on city water now for the past 3 years. I filter my water to remove the smell still. But I am more used to it now.

It doesn’t bug my stomach. What DOES bug my gut and trigger it is dried vegetables. That does a number on me. Is it because I drink more while hiking? Maybe. And the food is different than at home. (Dried vegetables at home affect my stomach as well) I wouldn’t worry about using the drops personally…most of us are not using them that often.

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