Katadyn MicroPUR MP1 Water Purifier Tablets

Catalog No. KAT50017

BackpackingLight.com Comments:

Practical Notes. MicroPUR tablets are EPA-registered as a water purification technology. That doesn't mean they are 100% successful at preventing illness: it simply means that they pass an artificial test designed by EPA to mimic real-world conditions (see table below). Use your head and be realistic about your expectations for clean water. Above all, be smart about your water sources. Any water purification technology should be viewed as insurance that helps reduce your exposure to pathogens, not as foolproof protection.

Chemistry & Efficacy. MicroPUR tablets are chemically similar to other chlorine dioxide chemical treatment technology, including Aqua Mira and KlearWater, and effectively kill bacteria and viruses after only short contact times, and cysts (such as Giardia and Crypto) after longer contact times. It is becoming increasingly accepted by the scientific community that chlorine dioxide technologies are more effective than iodine and chlorine for reducing the pathogenicity of dirty (soil-laden) waters containing bacteria, and waters containing cysts. Part of the reason is that chlorine dioxide is more effective at penetrating microbial biofilms attached to soil particles that can harbor large quantities of pathogenic microorganisms.

When to Use vs. Aqua Mira and KlearWater. Generally, MicroPUR tablets are effective substitutes for Aqua Mira and KlearWater when minimum weight is the single most important consideration for selecting your water treatment technology. We've found solid-form ClO2, such as MicroPUR tablets, to suffer some dissolution limitations in extremely low water temperatures (near 0 °C), and preliminary microscope studies indicate that some parts of the tablet can become adsorbed to soil particles in dirty waters, slowing dissolution rates. Consequently, it makes sense that liquid form chlorine dioxide solutions, such as Aqua Mira and KlearWater, may have a wider range of applicability than MicroPUR tablets.