What Is Barium?

ATSDR says barium compounds are used by the oil and gas industries to make drilling muds, which keep the drill bit lubricated, and are also used to make paint, bricks, ceramics, glass and rubber, and that barium sulfate is sometimes used by doctors for medical tests and x-rays of the gastrointestinal tract. The New Jersey Department of Health describes barium nitrate as a colorless to white, odorless crystalline powder used in making fireworks, for green lights and neon lights, and in ceramic glazes.

Solubility matters. ATSDR says the health effects of different barium compounds depend on how well the compound dissolves in water or in stomach contents, and that barium compounds that do not dissolve well, such as barium sulfate, are not generally harmful. It says some people who eat or drink barium above background levels for a short period may experience vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, increased or decreased blood pressure, numbness around the face and muscle weakness.

EPA drinking water regulations at 40 CFR 141.62 set a maximum contaminant level for barium of 2 mg/L. ATSDR says OSHA has set a permissible exposure limit of 0.5 mg/m3 for soluble barium compounds over 8-hour shifts, and that NIOSH has set a recommended exposure limit of 0.5 mg/m3 for soluble barium compounds.