Abstract
Introduction
Field water disinfection tablets that rely on halogens, such as iodine and chlorine, are effective but often render an unpleasant taste to disinfected water. Safe additives such as ascorbic acid have been proposed as means of reducing this objectionable taste.
Objectives
We compared the palatability of two popular commercially available field water disinfectants: iodine based tetraglycine hydroperiodide (TGHP) and chlorine based chlorine dioxide (CD) both with and without the concomitant use of an ascorbic acid taste neutralizer.
Methods
Participants blindly and randomly sampled 5 different distilled water based samples containing combinations of disinfectant tablets and ascorbic acid: (1) water, (2) water with TGHP, (3) water with CD, (4) water with TGHP plus ascorbic acid, and (5) water with CD plus ascorbic acid. Participants rated the taste of the beverage using a previously validated 100-mm visual analogue scale (VAS) and ranked the samples from “most pleasant” to the “least pleasant.”
Results
Sixty participants evaluated the samples. On the VAS, water with TGHP measured as the worst tasting. Water with CD was the second worst tasting overall. Water with TGHP plus ascorbic acid, water alone, and water with CD plus ascorbic acid all measured similarly as being significantly best tasting. Water with TGHP was ranked by 58% of participants as “least pleasant” tasting, while water with TGHP and ascorbic acid was ranked by 40% of participants as the “most pleasant” tasting.
Conclusions
Participants in our study found halogenated water to be significantly less palatable than halogenated water with ascorbic acid taste neutralizer. Addition of ascorbic acid to treated water created a beverage of similar preference to plain distilled water. Familiarity with these results may increase compliance of the proper field use of disinfecting tablets by better anticipating an individual's taste preference of drinking water that has been made potable via halogenation.