Anyone out there know if there have been any conclusive, long-term studies on purification chemicals' (such as AM) effect on the body's natural bacterial and viral defense mechanisms, after prolonged consumption (thru-hike)?

To further frame this question, I'm alluding to the recent alleged discovery of hand sanitizer's eventual effect of bacterial resilience, etc. Does this theory/problem transfer when the treatment chemical is ingested vs topically applied?

In addition, despite being considered safely and widely used in municipal water treatment plants, are these chemicals - and others like them - free of all residual effect/trace on/in the body?

Any takers? Any scientists?

Edited by edbarkowski on 02/12/2009 11:56:20 MST.

I don't know about Aquamira, but where did you hear that bacteria are growing resistant to hand sanitizer? If you're talking about alcohol-based sanitizers, I don't think that that's possible.

See http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/articles/400/400_2c1feat6.html for more info.

I would be asking elsewhere about studies on long term affects to municipal water.

From what I have read up on the chemicals break down over time and dissipate.

On the other hand, if you grew up on skanky well water you would be happy to drink treated water.......lord knows a lot of weird stuff grows in well water. (Heck, I had a boyfriend in high school whose well water often smelled of jet fuel - from the naval air station across the fence.....later it became a Superfund Site)

There's a general suggestion in the medical community that the widespread use of antibiotics is increasing the number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, through evolutionary pressure. But bacteria with antibiotic-resistant genes have been discovered a mile below the earths's surface. What we don't realize is that bacteria aren't just sitting out there scheming how to do us in, they're engaged in all-out warfare with other bacteria, so, if in a particular environment, like a hospital, we kill off all the bacteria vulnerable to a particular class of antibiotics, others which are antibiotic-resistant will rush in to take their place.

So use of Aquamira wouldn't somehow create a race of monster pathogens; if we flooded, for example, the Appalachians with Aquamira, aquamira-resistant pathogens would take the place of the pathogens killed off by Aquamira. But that's a far cry from hikers filling their bottles with Aquamira-treated water which won't re-enter the environment until after we've metabolized it.

James

A good point. The human body, in this context, does act as a closed system. Hmm. I guess my remaining question is if and how the body reacts to months and months of water treatment chemical ingestion.

I know this begs the comment about our day-to-day chemical-laden conventionally grown food intake, but please don't go there.

"I guess my remaining question is if and how the body reacts to months and months of water treatment chemical ingestion."

That is why I filter my water if I am in a location that I think warrants treatment. The verdict isn't in yet and by the time it is it'll be too late if it's "guilty".