Are there chemicals other than chlorine that individuals can use to purify water for drinking?

Question

I am speaking about small-scale individual usage not industrial or commercial usage here.

Answer 1

I travel frequently in remote places... and the easiest to find substance for filtering water, although not perfect, is charcoal. It does a pretty good job of absorbing chemicals and if you add a little salt most bacteria die. It is not perfect, but if you are in the middle of nowhere it works pretty good.

Answer 2

while chlorine is by far the cheapest route, most industrialized countries use hydrogen peroxide (food grade) to purify drinking water..

Answer 3

Of course, you can use iodine, but I don't like the taste that it leaves in the water. I suppose we are more used to the chlorine/bleach taste.

Answer 4

You can bubble oxygen or ozone through the water. Ozone is more effective, but oxygen is more readily available and cheaper. All of the halogen answers are good. Please note that none of these produce distilled water. Chemical impurities are still present, including the disinfectant you use.

Answer 5

fyi bleach has chlorine in it. chlorine is the best way to go because O3 is really expensive, and other chemicals are harder to monitor

Answer 6

I have spoken to people who use bromine to purify the water in their swimming pools.

Answer 7

Silver has strong anti-bacterial properties. Silver goblets were thought to have magical properties as drinks drunk from them did not cause illness.

Answer 8

bleach

Answer 9

i think u can use potash alum

Answer 10

of course.................ozon for example......... it not only purifies water, but also makes it distiled......and without any bacterias or viruses..............besides its more convinient and cheep.............