[pct-l] Bathing on the trail

[dave encisco]

> From: Gary Wright <gwtmp01 at mac.com>
> Just to clarify my jump in a lake or creek comment:

Sorry, my comment wasn't specifically targeted at you as much as I wanted to point out that trace amounts of pesticides are introduced into watershed (or chemicals like zinc oxide) if you bath directly in the lakes and streams. I'm not a chemist, although the question I think that would be more pertinent is: what's the solubility rate for the chemical, rather than what's the toxicity rate per volume of water. I mean for the most part the body of water is dynamic, but if solubility rate is low it will accumulate somewhere. I also know that anything mixed with glycerin slows the solubility rate down.

> As for sunscreen/deet contamination, I would guess that
> 99.9% of hikers are guilty of this. How many of us rinse off
> before fording a creek in the Sierra?

Granted, and I follow suit, and I by no means am trying to justify the exception, but isn't crossing a stream less invasive than washing yourself off with a bandanna in that same stream? This is also assuming that the average person crossing that stream is wearing shorts (I wear shorts and my partner wears "the pants").

> > Due to the manner in which DEET is applied and used,
> it is not likely to affect terrestrial wildlife or aquatic
> organisms adversely (EPA 1999).
> 
> That quote is from: <http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/consultations/deet/environmental.html

But..but where's the study? This site is a slightly better reference:
http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/carbaryl-dicrotophos/deet-ext.html

Dave