Barium Updated: March 7th, 2010 | 
| QUESTIONS |
ANSWERS |
| What is this chemical? |
Barium is a soft silvery, metallic alkaline earth metal. It is never found in nature in its pure form due to its reactivity with air.
Because barium quickly oxidizes in air, it is difficult to obtain the free metal and it is never found free in nature. The metal is primarily found in, and extracted from barite. |
| What is its purpose? |
Metallic barium has few industrial uses. The most important use of elemental barium is as a scavenger removing last traces of oxygen and other gases in television and other electronic tubes. |
| Where is it found? |
- vacuum tubes
- fluorescent lamps
- fireworks
- X-ray radiocontrast agent (Barium sulfate)
- spark plug wire
- rat poison (Barium carbonate)
|
| HEALTH CONCERNS |
| Is this chemical a carcinogen? |
Barium has not shown to cause cancer with humans. There is no proof that barium can cause infertility or birth defects. |
| How can it affect me? |
Barium sulfate can be taken orally because it is highly insoluble in water, and is eliminated completely from the digestive tract. Unlike other heavy metals, barium does not accumulate in the body.
The amount of barium that is detected in food and water usually is not high enough to become a health concern.
People with the greatest risk to barium exposure with additional health effects are those that work in the barium industry. Most of the health risks that they can undergo are caused by breathing in air that contains barium sulphate or barium carbonate.
The health effects of barium depend upon the water-solubility of the compounds. Barium compounds that dissolve in water can be harmful to human health. The uptake of very large amounts of barium that are water-soluble may cause paralyses and in some cases even death. |
| Are there controversial issues? |
No. |
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