MRS MIOX Water Purifier

Using my REI rebate and a discount for using the rebate, I went ahead and purchased the MRS MIOX purifier. As I did a while ago on the STERI-PEN, I will go ahead and qualitatively test the MIOX against some common bacteria that are common fecal indicator organisms. The test will most likely have to wait until next week.

A few quick notes on the product before I perform the tests:

There is a fairly detailed manual and a quick guide to get started. The directions are fairly straightforward. While the manual describes the creation of an “oxidant” which is the active agent to kill the microorganisms, including viruses (15 min. contact time), bacteria (15 min. contact time, protozoa/giardia (30 min. contact time) and cryptosporidium (4 hour contact time), it does not identify the “oxidant” that is created. I would suspect it is a peroxide or nascent (free) oxygen generator. The “oxidant” that is created is toxic in undiluted form and can cause damage to eyes and skin if directly contacted or ingested. It provides first aid directions (mainly flush with water for at least 15 min.) in case of accidental exposure.

By clicking the activation button you can make four different quantities of “oxidant” for 0.5L, 1L, 2L and 4L amounts of water to be treated. Expendable supplies include: 2 x CR123 batteries, rock salt and test strips. It is not clear as to what the strips are testing, but I suspect it is testing for the presence of the “oxidant”. You are suppose to test each batch of water twice, first time, immediately right after you mix the “oxidant” into the water and again at 10 minutes. It gives you an SOP if you do not have the test strips. You are to make the “oxidant” at 8x the normal dose.

The unit looks fairly hardy and suspect it will stand up to significant use, however time will tell. It makes note that you must remember to treat the treads and lip of the container to kill microorganisms that might contaminate the drinking surface. I have no idea how taste might be affected by the “oxidant”, but will give you my impression when I test the unit out. Pete

Thanks for the good info, Pete. The Miox looks promising. Here's a link from a great lightweight backpacking forum with some more good Miox info:

Miox report

Thanks for the link. In one of the posts there is a link to:
http://www.miox.com/

This site has some good information, including the active ingredient. It is a hypochlorous acid solution, so I guessed wrong, thinking it would be peroxidase based compound. Pete

As noted in one of the posts through the link provided by Glock-A-Roo, there is also an added benefit of the product and that is to disinfect surfaces, hands (the diluted mix) and other eating utensils. Sort of like the bleach dip that many scouts units use as part of the final rinse for their dunk bags. While not advertised as a surface-disinfecting unit, I will check this potential use as well. Pete

Uh, that would be MSR, right? I don't think there's a Mr. Miox... <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

David

That would be correct <img src="images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

So, how did the test results turn out?

4 hour contact time? Ill boil/ filter for now.

MIOX Test

Pete

Thanks!

paramedicpete, I was wondering if you have time down the road to try your steripen out with those test and see if you get the same,worst or better results. And compare the time, the 1 1/2 minute vs the Miox 4 hour time. In my case I would boil my water than wait on the time for a miox. That's why I had bought my steripen. Any how if you are game in testing and comparing it would be appreciated.
Thanks

I suspect that it wouldn't be practical. In Pete's original protocol, he said, "The bacterial slurry was significantly turbid to the naked eye." So, that would rule out using the Steripen with the same protocol since the Steripen is designed to be used in clear water. He could use a different solution, but then it wouldn't be directly comparable with the other results.

Good point, the steripen can't compete in turbid water without some sort of prefilter to clear the water whether a handkerchief or something.

Actually, I did (sort of- only tested with one species of bacteria- I think), the post is so old it is not longer available on the site.

IIRC, I made turbid slurry of E. coli, post 1 round of the Steri-pen there was a substantial reduction in the number of organisms. It took two rounds of the Steri-pen to achieve 0 cfu (colony forming units). The turbidity created from the concentrated organism is different then turbidity from say, slit or mud. Keep in mind when using the Steri-pen, you are supposed to “mix” or move the pen around the container (like mixing with a spoon), this exposes most of the water more directly to the UV source. With the bacteria slurry, although turbid, the mixing caused the individual bacteria to come close to the UV source, thus killing the organism. With turbidity caused by silt, the silt might block the UV from hitting the individual bacteria; the “blocking” effect would likely be more pronounced with small bacteria and viruses, which might be small enough to “hide” in the rough surface of the individual silt particle

I hope this explanation makes sense.

Pete

That 4 hour time is based on the same bureaucratic/political FDA requirements suffered by the other excellent chlorine dioxide water treatment tools like AquaMira and MicroPur tablets. Real-world tests show that they work absolutely fine in much less time than 4 hours, even against crypto, but the FDA won't let the mfgrs say so.

Don't worry about the 4 hour thing.

From what I've read you have to be pulling water from a sewage-impacted puddle in a 3rd world country in order to get crypto in the quantities used for testing.

In the remote areas of the U.S. and Europe Cyrpto is pretty rare, so much shorter times have a very high chance of killing the one or two spores that are unlikely to even be in the water.

I have the Miox and feel comfortable with the 30 minutes called for Giardia.