How to Sterilize Water With Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide provides a method of disinfecting drinking water. Hydrogen peroxide is widely available at 3 percent and 6 percent concentrations for use as an over-the-counter disinfectant; it also works on drinking water. Opinions vary on the correct ratio of water to hydrogen peroxide to get the intended results and sufficient sterilizing times needed to effectively kill bacteria in drinking water for humans. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency does not approve treating drinking water with hydrogen peroxide unless used in conjunction with iron in Fenton's Reagent method or in an advanced oxidation process. Nonetheless, certain European countries like England and Israel have approved standards for using hydrogen peroxide as an emergency treatment for drinking water.

Things You'll Need

• Untreated water
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Measuring equipment
• Container

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Instructions

• 1

  Determine how much hydrogen peroxide you need for your water sample. In 1997, the European Chemical Industry Council approved the use 1,000 ppm of hydrogen peroxide in human drinking water.

• 2

  Add the correct amount of hydrogen peroxide to your water. If possible, agitate the water by stirring or shaking to quickly incorporate the peroxide through the water. In addition to making the water safer to drink, the hydrogen peroxide also purifies the water by reducing any odors or colors that stem from it and enhances the overall taste.

• 3

  Allow the mixture to sit. Ideally, let your water sit for 24 hours. This provides sufficient time for the hydrogen peroxide to oxidize the bacteria and leave behind disinfected drinking water. Hydrogen peroxide has an extra oxygen molecule compared to water. The additional oxygen oxidizes the water and treats pollutants like sulfides, iron and microorganisms. Hydrogen peroxide oxidizes treatable bacteria in less than 24 hours, but certain bacterium, like the typhoid bacteria that causes typhoid fever, takes longer to eliminate depending on the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the water. Therefore, 24 hours, provides an ideal overall time frame to promote safety.