Evaluation of Survival Straws (Pocket Purifier),

This report is a preliminary report of microbiological studies on Survival Straws Pocket Purifier. The trial was undertaken as part of the overall study on water purification systems. The Survival Straw is used by placing the bottom end in water and drawing water through the tube as with an ordinary drinking straw. The straw as housed in a protective casing is 21 cm long and 1.6 cm in diameter. There are three main sections in a straw. The first is a primary inlet filter to remove suspended particle matter. The second is a halogenated polystyrene divinyl-benzene quarternary ammonium anion resin containing 38 iodine. This section is alleged to kill microorganisms. The third is a purifying medium of carbon to remove impurities and make the water palatable. Preliminary results raise some doubts as to the bactericidal efficiency of Survival Straws. The possible inactivation of the bactericidal resin in the straw by the Simulated Contaminated Water employed, would need to be investigated before further studies could proceed.