What does the Steripen Opti remove from the water and does it work with water with sediments? Thanks Chris Hudson

Hello, The Steripen does not remove anything from the water as such, instead it kills or destroys harmful bacteria, viruses and protozoan cysts (eg Cryptosporidium and Giardia etc). If you need to treat cloudy or dirty water it is recommended you first filter it using one of the Steripen pre-filters such as the Prefilter - http://www.hiking.com.au/p/1062005/steripen---prefilter.html or the Fits-all-filter - http://www.hiking.com.au/p/1201018/steripen---fits-all-filter.html . I have also pasted some information from http://www.steripen.com below fyi, and I would also recommend you checkout the http://www.steripen.com site and read the available information there to help you understand how the Steripen works. Regards Sales SteriPEN treats a wide variety of bacteria, viruses and protozoan cysts, such as: Bacteria - These guys may be teeny tiny, but they can do some major damage. Ever heard of necrotizing fasciitis? How about if we call it Flesh Eating Bacteria? And bacteria's right in the name! Campylobacter - Campers beware, campylobacter is the leading cause of bacterial diarrhea...and it's found everywhere! Cholera - Little Timmy might have died from this in the Oregon Trail game, but it's very real. Cholera infects the intestines and while it's rare in places with proper infrastructure, it can still be found in brackish rivers and coastal water. Cryptosporidium - Like Cholera, these guys live in your intestines! Now that's a one-way relationship you don't want to be a part of! Escherichia coli - You know this one better as E. coli, and in most cases, he's on your side (and in your stomach). In healthy people, E. coli actually makes vitamins your body needs and helps keep more harmful bacteria in check. But watch out for the black sheep of the family, E. coli O157:H7. It may be rare, but this strain releases a powerful toxin that will damage the lining of the intestine and cause severe sickness. Giardia – They say there’s lots of fish in the sea, and with Giardia, it’s true – it’s found all over the world and it one of the most common causes of waterbourne illnesses and THE most common cause of non-bacterial diarrhea in North America. But at least if you let this parasite into your life, it’ll be a give and take relationship - it’ll take your small intestine for its home and give you a bad case of diarrhea in return. Hepatitis – This little virus can live in your water. Luckily, the SteriPEN purifiers can destroy Hepatitus A, B, C, and D. How’s that for justice? Legionella – You might think the water in your hotel is safe, but that might not be the case. The ninja-like legionella bacterium can hide out in larger organisms and fall though the cracks when your water is disinfected in large water distribution centers like those in hotels and even hospitals. And take it from us, you don’t want a legion of legionella floating around inside your body! Protozoan parasite – Protozoan parasites represent a whole classification of nasty baddies who are live in the cells and tissues of other living creatures and they’re looking to make you their next host. Protozoans can cause a whole laundry list of problems, from targeting the central nervous system to diarrhea. No matter your symptoms, you don’t want one of these guys to be your guest. Salmonella – When your mom told you not to eat raw eggs, she was trying to save you from this bacterium, but salmonella can also live in water (and animals…and dry environments…) for several months. Salmonella can cause all sorts of diseases from typhoid fever to salmonellis, none of which are much fun to have. Shigella – Don’t let the name fool you, shigella isn’t shy when it comes to getting to know a new host. Even just a few bacterium can cause a infections like dysentery, shigellosis or hemolytic uremic syndrome. Viruses – Remember when we said bacteria are tiny? Viruses are 100 times smaller than a single bacteria cell and they’re so cut throat that they’ll hijack the cells of other organisms to help them do things they can’t do on their own, like eat, grow and multiply...moochers! Treating Turbid, Murky or Cloudy Water SteriPEN® AdventurerOpti is intended for use, and is most effective, in clear water. However, SteriPEN® has been shown to reduce microbial contamination in turbid water. If clear water is not available, first try to filter the water to clarify it. If it is necessary to treat turbid, murky or cloudy water in an emergency situation, use SteriPEN® as follows: • To treat 1 liter of turbid water, use two one-liter treatments. To accomplish this, push the operating button one time and complete the first treatment. Then push the button one time again and complete the second treatment. • To treat 0.5 liters of turbid water, use a single 1 liter dose. To accomplish this, push the operating button once and complete the treatment. Turbidity is a measure of water clarity as effected by the presence of suspended solids. As turbidity increases, the suspended solids and murkiness of the water also increase. It is difficult to communicate a particular level of turbidity with just a written description. Accordingly, please take into account the following when considering the use of SteriPEN® in water that is not clear: Laboratory testing has shown that SteriPEN® is effective in water with a turbidity of not less than 30 ntu (Nephelometric Turbidity Units) as described in the U.S. EPA Guide Standard and Protocol for Testing Microbiological Water Purifiers, section 3.3.4. SteriPEN® has been successfully tested in water with a turbidity measurement of 33 ntu. If viewing 33 ntu water in a clear 1 liter bottle, one might characterize the water as follows: Much closer to clear than opaque, Obviously not clear, Obviously cloudy, Objects viewed through the water are visible but blurry, As cloudy as weak lemonade