What is the difference between portable filters and Polar Pure?
Filters have become popular because they can remove pollutants from water without changing the water taste. The most popular portable filters sold today have pore sizes of 0.1 to 4 microns. The Giardia cyst is 6 microns in diameter. Many bacteria are larger than 0.2 microns, so 0.2 micron filters are adequate to handle such organisms. Viruses, however, range from 0.004 to 0.06 microns in size — far smaller than the pore size of the best portable filter. Therefore, chemicals (such as Polar Pure) or heat must be used after, or instead of a filter if viruses could be present. Only a filter system which includes an iodine matrix will destroy virses.
