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Sanitary water may be found in closed containers (C) Daniel FriedmanHow to Use Hydrogen Peroxide to Purify or Sterilize Drinking Water for Emergency Use

  • POST a QUESTION or COMMENT about using hydrogen peroxide H202 for emergency drinking water disinfection & use of vinegar as a fruit & vegetable wash

Hydrogen peroxide for water treatment

This article explains how to use hydrogen peroxide as a drinking water disinfectant. We discuss the limits of hydrogen peroxide for treating drinking water. The article includes research citations on the use of hydrogen peroxide for disinfection of drinking water as well as for treating wastewater and includes research on the combined effects of hydrogen peroxide with UV or ozone systems. Citations include research on the toxicity of hydrogen peroxide in the environment.

This article series outlines methods to purify or sanitize drinking water in an emergency following a disaster such as an earthquake, flood, or hurricane. Separately at WATER DISINFECTANT QUANTITY we review the amount of bleach or other disinfectants needed to effectively disinfect drinking water in daily use or in an emergency water supply situation.

InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

Uses of Hydrogen Peroxide for Water Sterilization or Disinfection

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) sold as a topical disinfectant to reduce the chance of infection in minor scrapes, cuts, and burns, may also be used to purify water, and its odor will dissipate rapidly. Our page top photo shows typical drugstore hydrogen peroxide topical solution sold for home use as a disinfectant for cuts and abrasions. This hydrogen peroxide solution is found at 3% concentration.

How much hydrogen peroxide to add to drinking water? We have not yet found an authoritative source that provides guidance on the concentration needed to disinfect drinking water. One of our readers spoke to a company that sells food grade 32 percent hydrogen peroxide. They recommend 1/8 of a cup per gallon but we do not know how they have determined this advice.

More on uses of hydrogen peroxide and warnings about this substance are provided just below.

According to Dr. Omar Amin, of the Tempe AZ Parasitology Center, who corresponded with one of our readers who asked him about using hydrogen peroxide as a drinking water disinfectant: "You can use hydrogen peroxide if you want to but we do not have a track record of percentage dilution". Dr. Amin has done research for the US military and for the CDC.

H2O2 has been combined with UV light to sterilize water quickly, and this substance is used in medical sterilization equipment.

H2O2 breaks down into water vapor and oxygen; if your H2O2 supply is quite old, it may have deteriorated and be ineffective for any use as a disinfectant, including in its intended application as a topical or skin/cut/abrasion disinfectant. In that case don't use it - it's ineffective.

Warning about Drinking Hydrogen Peroxide

In July, 2006, the FDA issued a warning about the high strength hydrogen peroxides, saying they could lead to serious health risks and even death.

A warning from the BC Cancer Agency in Canada said that over a three year period 6 children were seriously poisoned and one died from drinking the high strength hydrogen peroxide. They report one near-fatal case of an adult ingesting high strength hydrogen peroxide. This article cites a 2003 entry in Journal of Food and Science on using Hydrogen peroxide to sterilize vegetables, referring to E.coli - NOT to Giardia.

Hydrogen peroxide vegetable soak

Some websites describe use of 35% food grade H202 but without citing authoritative sources. "Vegetable Soak: (CLOROX substitute): Add 1/4 cup of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide into a gallon of Cold Water. Soak light Vegetables (Lettuce, etc.) 20 minutes, thicker skinned Vegetables (like Cucumbers) for 30 minutes. Drain and dry, (they keep LONGER too).

If time is a Problem, you can spray the Vegetables with straight 3% Hydrogen Peroxide, let stand for a couple of minutes, rinse and dry." But is this treatment effective for just for Ecoli or also for Giardia?

Katadyne Micropur chlorine dioxide kit Cryptosporidium cysts might survive a typical chlorine disinfection process (such as at a municipal water treatment plant).

[Click to enlarge any image]

For this reason some municipalities where Cryptosporidium cysts are a concern add a water treatment step using chlorine dioxide. Others may use a combination of UV light and chlorine in the water treatment procedure. This treatment is also available to hikers, travelers, and for emergency water supply use.

Aquamira™ and Katadyn™ (Micropur) provide portable or field-use water treatment kits using chlorine dioxide.

The best procedures for washing fruits and vegetables are found at VEGETABLE or PRODUCE DISINFECTION along with supporting research.

Use of Vinegar as a Water Sterilizer?

We moved this discussion. See VINEGAR for PRODUCE or WATER DISINFECTION - for a description of the effectiveness of vinegar as a disinfectant, a water disinfectant, a food wash, and warnings about the limitations of vinegar for water disinfection to make drinking water potable or safe.

Question: Use Hydrogen Peroxide for Disinfecting our Well Water?

I just read an excellent article [cited below] about water well treatment with peroxide; something I've been looking in to for some time. - James G. by private email 2016/09/16

Reply: research on the effectveness of & hazards of hydrogen peroxide for drinking water treatment

Thank you for the question, James.The authors of the article you like do cite research on the health effects of drinking chlorinated water - a topic we've addressed as well at CHLORINE HAZARDS in WATER.

Chlorine residuals in drinking water are not or at least need not be a hazard in a properly designed treatment system. Typically chlorine treatment systems include also charcoal filtration as post processing to remove excess chlorine; Residual chlorine is very volatile too (as is hydrogen peroxide) which means that in an open water container it dissipates rapidly.

I would never select any water treatment method, including disinfection, before knowing what water contaminants are present and need to be addressed. For example not chlorine nor peroxide will adequately handle some cyst like contaminants such as giardia, and no disinfectant addresses chemical contaminants, nor do they do much for turbidity nor do the handle more than low levels of sulphur odor problems.

For hydrogen peroxide disinfection, the effectiveness also is affected by water temperature: lower effectiveness at lower temperatures. In the research you'll see the use of ozonation to improve the efficacy of hydrogen peroxide treatments of drinking water: you probably wouldn't use H202 alone. Hydrogen peroxide has only a weak microbiocidal activity in water disinfection when it is used alone. (Sommer 2004).

You might also look at the limitations of ozone treatment of water supplies as the limitations of the two methods are similar. See OZONE for WATER DISINFECTION.

Research on hydrogen peroxide water treatment for drinking water, well water, groundwater, & wastewater

 




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Reader Comments, Questions & Answers About The Article Above

Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.

Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

On 2020-06-0 by (mod) - 3% hydrogen peroxide, diluted with an equal volume of fresh water, can also be used as a mouthwash

Thanks for the question about using hydrogen peroxide as a disinfectant, Jerry.

According to the NIH, 3% hydrogen peroxide, diluted with an equal volume of fresh water, can also be used as a mouthwash (First aid antiseptic/Oral debriding agent), so it's reasonable to say it's safe to use to disinfect your toothbrush.

You can soak your toothbrush in drugstore 3% peroxide overnight, and that'll be fine, but you'll want to rinse it with fresh water before using the toothbrush again.

cf https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/

Watch out: drinking or consuming stronger concentrations or full-strength hydrogen peroxide can be fatal - as we cite from the U.S. NIH below on this page

On 2020-06-01 by Jerry - uses of 3% hydrogen peroxide

Oh for God sakes people. We go to the drug store and buy hydrogen peroxide. It comes in 3%. All I want to do is know how much to add to a gal of water to disinfect it. I don't want to drink it. Just soak my toothbrush in it. Get off all these 35% hydrogen peroxide answers. I don't even know where you can buy that. IT'S 3% THAT CAN BE PURCHASED BY US COMMONERS BY JUST GOING TO THE CORNER DRUG STORE, GROCERY STORE, AND ECT. So what is the answer for people like me? Not a chemist trying to disinfect a well or runoff water or fungus-infected water jugs. 3% is common over the counter strength and is what 99% of us can get or want to use.

On 2020-03-18 - by (mod) -

thank you for your comments, Joyce. I agree that "the dose makes the poison"

In the article above discussing use of hydrogen peroxide for water purification we cite authoritative sources - and excerpt from them.

Watch out: let's be sure to avoid confusion between using food grade hydrogen peroxide as a vegetable wash disinfectant and using much lower dilutions of hydrogen peroxide to disinfect drinking water.

Also from the article above

Watch out: "In July, 2006, the FDA issued a warning about the high strength hydrogen peroxides, saying they could lead to serious health risks and even death."

On 2020-03-18 by Joyce E Chapman - If people put 1/8 cup of 32% food grade hydrogen peroxide in a gallon of water they will get sick.

This is very wrong information. If people put 1/8 cup of 32% food grade hydrogen peroxide in a gallon of water they will get sick. This stuff is very very strong and that is way to much. I don't know who told you that, but, they were wrong. I have been using the food grade hydrogen peroxide for over forty years and if you do not use it and don't know what you are talking about you should never give advice on it. I pray no one has followed your directions on this because it is dangerous, especially with little kids. I would think that 35 DROPS would be a good number to purify a gallon of water.

I have personally never even seen 32% all I've ever seen or bought was 35%. I was reading that you use 1 cup for 300 GALLONS of water. I would still hold to using 35 drops or even less. This should leave the water bacteria free and have no added taste to the water and would be safe for all ages to consume.

On 2012-12-28 by Jonathan

Mike asked: what is high strength h2o2..what is the difference between 3%, 35% and food grade?
It is important to know that food grade H2O2 is the only one to be used internally. The non-food grade H2O2 has chemical stabilizers in it. These are not intended for human consumption. 35% food grade is the one to use for sterilising water, vegetables, and for internal use (if you choose to take small amounts of H2O2 in water for health purposes). When taken internally it 35% H2O2 MUST be significantly diluted in water.

Someone else asked about how long it keeps. 35% FG H2O2 is best stored in the freezer. It will NOT freeze in a home freezer, and will last a VERY long time. Food grade H2O2 is inherently unstable and will liberate gas as it breaks down. This process is greatly slowed when it is stored at sub-zero ( centigrade ) temperatures.

On 2012-08-28 by mike

what is high strength h2o2..what is the difference between 3%, 35% and food grade

On 2012-08-06 - by (mod) -

Anon:

Dr. Omar Amin, of the Tempe AZ Parasitology Center, corresponded with one of our readers asking about peroxide: "You can use hydrogen peroxide if you want to but we do not have a track record of percentage dilution". Dr. Amin has done research for the US military and for the CDC.

Also, don't confuse cause and effect. Lots of people who have never used a single drop of H2O2 also have not been sick for a long time.

Or to use a sillier example, I've been driving around with no seat belt fastened in my corvette for about three years now, sometimes really fast. And I've never had an accident. But my wife doesn't agree with my theory that leaving the seatbelt off is what has kept me healthy.

On 2012-08-05 by Anonymous

I have been using 12 drops of H2O2 in 6-8oz of distilled water everyday for over a year. I have not been sick,
had a cold or even a sniffle in all that time using this. My question is: the bottle I purchased (about a QT),
was over a year ago. How old is "quite old" as state above? The qt is almost empty now. How long is the shelf
life on H2O2. Also to purify drinking water I would use about 48 drops per gallon. I put one drop in a qt of
milk when I buy it and it last for a 3 weeks. This stuff is amazing.

On 2011-09-29 by Parveen Choudhary

Hello,
Sometimes I am having fever like feeling but not fever. I am using tap water for drinking without any sterlisation. Is it possible that water is the reason for this feeling ? I have noticed that after my lunch or breakfast i feel feverish otherwise not. Is this method effective in killing microbes and what concentration of hydrogen peroxide is required ?

On 2011-08-01 - by (mod) -

Lori boiling water will sterilize pots and pans, as will washing them in disinfectant such as a bleach solution of 1/4 cup of bleach per gallon of water. The pots and pans should be first washed clean in soapy water, then treated with the bleach solution - see details at BLEACH DISINFECTANT for Drinking Water - then rinsed in clean potable water before use in cooking again so as not to put bleach into food being prepared.

On 2011-08-01 by LORI

Looking for" how to sterlize pots and pans" from boiling water from e-coli tainted water w/ fecal mater also in the water. can you help me??

On 2011-07-12 - by (mod) -

At InspectAPedia we do our best to cite reliable research and authoritative sources, or we label comments as OPINION.

Watch out: Readers should NOT FOLLOW DJ's practice and should NOT drink Hydrogen Peroxide!

In July, 2006, the FDA issued a warning about the high strength hydrogen peroxides, saying they could lead to serious health risks
and even death. A warning from the BC Cancer Agency in Canada said that over a three year period 6 children were seriously poisoned
and one died from drinking the high strength hydrogen peroxide. They report one near-fatal case of an adult ingesting high strength
hydrogen peroxide.

InspectAPedia is an independent publisher of building, environmental, and forensic inspection, diagnosis, and repair information for
the public - we have no business nor financial connection with any manufacturer or service provider discussed at our website.

We are dedicated to making our information as accurate, complete, useful, and unbiased as possible: we very much welcome critique,
questions, or content suggestions for our web articles.

On 2011-07-12 by DJ - disagrees with health experts and drinks hydrogen peroxide! - UNSAFE READER OPINION

Your comments about Hydrogen Peroxide on your website is a Joke.....Especially dr. Amin's comments! I've been taking 35% hydrogen peroxide 'internally' (there is a certain protocol for doing this!) for over 15 years...And it's awesome! What do you expect the fda (or any government agency to say) to do....They can't make money off anything 'natural'! Did you know that your body makes hydrogen peroxide?....But as you grow older, it makes less...And with the chemicals in all of the foods you buy/eat (unless you grow your own and know that you didn't/don't use chemicals [chemical fertilizers. Etc] to grow them....Then...Well, the various government agencies don't want you yo know the truth....Because they can't make any money off of the truth.....Soooo, you believe what you want. The truth is out there, online (for free, thanks to the internet!!), if you're not tooo lazy to 'research' it! hydrogen peroxide has saved my 'life'....Litterly! I have emphysema (or copd...What-ever you want to call it)...And hydrogen peroxide therapy has put it in check....And I can do what I use to do...Which I couldn't before the hydrogen peroxide! I know my comments will not be posted here.....So be it....But, I know the truth (and many others are learning the 'real' truth every day)!

DJ (North Central Texas)


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