Barium

Excerpt from ERG Guide 138 [Substances - Water-Reactive (Emitting Flammable Gases)]:

Excerpt from ERG Guide 135 [Substances - Spontaneously Combustible]:

Use special powder, dry sand. NO water.

Fresh air, rest. Refer for medical attention.

Remove contaminated clothes. Rinse skin with plenty of water or shower. Refer for medical attention .

First rinse with plenty of water for several minutes (remove contact lenses if easily possible), then refer for medical attention.

Rinse mouth. Refer for medical attention .

· CALL 911. Then call emergency response telephone number on shipping paper. If shipping paper not available or no answer, refer to appropriate telephone number listed on the inside back cover.

· ELIMINATE all ignition sources (no smoking, flares, sparks or flames) from immediate area.

EYES: First check the victim for contact lenses and remove if present. Flush victim's eyes with water or normal saline solution for 20 to 30 minutes while simultaneously calling a hospital or poison control center. Do not put any ointments, oils, or medication in the victim's eyes without specific instructions from a physician. IMMEDIATELY transport the victim after flushing eyes to a hospital even if no symptoms (such as redness or irritation) develop.

Excerpt from ERG Guide 135 [Substances - Spontaneously Combustible]:

General First Aid:

The substance may spontaneously ignite on contact with air (if in powder form).

Reacts violently with fire extinguishing agents, such as water, bicarbonate, powder, foam, and carbon dioxide.

· Wear positive pressure self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).

0.5 [mg/m3], as Ba, inhalable fraction (soluble compds)[German Research Foundation (DFG)]

Use dry chemical, carbon dioxide, water spray, or alcohol foam extinguisher ... If material or contaminated runoff enters waterways, notify downstream users of potentially contaminated waters. Notify local health and fire officials and pollution control agencies. From a secure, explosion-proof location, use water spray to cool exposed containers. If cooling streams are ineffective (venting sound increases in volume and pitch, tank discolors or shows any signs of deforming), withdraw immediately to a secure position ... The only respirators recommended for fire fighting are self-contained breathing apparatuses that have full facepieces and are operated in a pressure-demand or other positive-pressure mode.

If material on fire or involved in fire: Do not use water. Use graphite, soda ash, powdered sodium chloride, or suitable dry powder. If fire is massive, back off, protect surroundings, and let burn. Keep run-off water out of sewers and water sources.

Barium metal should be stored in a dry area, separated from halogenated solvents, strong oxidants, acids, in tightly closed containers under an inert gas blanket, petroleum, or oxygen-free liquid. Rubber gloves, rubber protective clothing and apron, goggles and /particulate/ filter mask should be worn when working in a barium storage area.

Store under inert gas, petroleum, or other oxygen-free liquid.

... Packaged in argon filled plastic bags inside argon filled steel containers.

Barium is packaged in airtight steel drums containing up to 100 kg of the metal under argon or paraffin oil. Smaller amounts (1-10 kg) are packaged in tin cans, and even smaller samples are packaged in hermetically sealed glass bottles.

Barium should always be stored in a dry, well ventilated place and every contact with moisture and air avoided.

Spill handling: evacuate and restrict persons not wearing protective equipment from area of spill or leak until cleanup is complete. Remove all ignition sources. Small quantities of barium metal may be dissolved in large quantities of water. Soda ash is added and the solution then neutralized with /hydrochloric acid/. Collect powdered material in the most convenient and safe manner and deposit in sealed containers. Ventilate area of spill or lead after clean-up is complete. It may be necessary to contain and dispose of this chemical as a hazardous waste. If material or contaminated runoff enters waterways, notify downstream users of potentially contaminated waters. Contact your Department of Environmental Protection or your regional office of the federal EPA for specific recommendations.

Excerpt from ERG Guide 138 [Substances - Water-Reactive (Emitting Flammable Gases)]:

Excerpt from ERG Guide 135 [Substances - Spontaneously Combustible]:

Cardiovascular (Heart and Blood Vessels), Gastrointestinal (Digestive), Renal (Urinary System or Kidneys)

Urinary

The health effects of the different barium compounds depend on how well the compound dissolves in water or the stomach contents. At low doses, barium acts as a muscle stimulant, while higher doses affect the nervous system, causing cardiac irregularities, tremors, weakness, anxiety, dyspnea, paralysisand possibly death. Barium may also cause gastrointestinal disturbances, damage the kidneys and cause decreases in body weight. (L214)

The substance can be absorbed into the body by ingestion.

Oral (L214) ; inhalation (L214)

IDENTIFICATION: Barium is a yellowish white soft metal that is strongly electropositive. In nature barium occurs in a combined state, the principal forms being barite (barium sulfate) and witherite (barium carbonate). Barium is also present in small quantities in igneous rocks such as feldspar and micas. It may also be found as a natural component of fossil fuel and is present in the air, water and soil. HUMAN EXPOSURE: Exposure to barium can occur through the air, water or food. Another souce of barium is nuclear fallout. The average person accumulates 91% of barium in bones. Trace quantities are found in various tissues such as the aorta, brain, heart, kidney, spleen, pancreas and lung. Total barium in human beings tends to increase with age and the levels in the body depend on the geographical location of the individual /SRP: Some sources say barium decreases with age/. Barium has also been found in all samples of stillborn babies, suggesting it can cross the placenta. Inhaled barium can be absorbed through the lung or directly from the nasal membrane into the blood. Barium is eliminated in the urine and feces, the rates varying with the route of administration. Within 24 hr approximately 20% of the barium dose, injected into humans was eliminated in the feces and approxinately 5% in the urine. Plasma barium is almost eliminated from the blood stream within 24 hr. ANIMAL/PLANT STUDIES: In general, barium does not accumulate in common plants in sufficient quantities to be toxic to animals. Large quantities of barium (as high as 1260 mg/kg) accumulated in legumes, alfalfa and soybeans. The elimination of ingested barium in animals occurs mainly in the feces rather than in the urine. An estimated of the biological half-life for barium in the rat is 90-120 days. The acute effects of barium ingestion in animals includes salivation, nausea, diarrhea, tachycardia, hypokalaemia, twitching, flacid paralysis of skeletal muscle, respiratory muscle paralysis and ventricular fibrillation may lead to death. Various studies have demonstrated the detremental effect of barium upon ventricular automaticity and pacemaker current in the heart. IV barium injections to anesthetized dogs indicated that these acute effects were due to prompt and substantial hypokalemia. Barium causes mild skin and eye irritation. No conclusive association was found between the level of barium in the drinking water and the incidence of congenital malformations. There is no evidence that barium is carcinogenic. Rats given 10 or 100 mg barium/L in their drinking water for 16 months experienced hypertension, but at a level of 1 mg/L did not induce any blood pressure changes. Analysis of myocardial function at 16 months (100 mg barium/L) revealed significantly altered cardiac contractility and excitability, myocardial metabolic disturbances and hypersensitivity of the cardiovascular system to sodium pentobarbital. Barium posesses chemical and physiological properties that allow it to compete with and replace calcium, particularly those relating to the release of adrenal catecholamines and neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine and norepinephrine. Barium affects the development of germinating bacterial spores and has a variety of specific effects on different microorganisms including the inhibition of cellular processes. Little information is available on the effects of barium on aquatic organisms. There were no effects on survival of fish following exposure for 30 days. However, in a 21 day study, impairment of reproduction and reduction in growth in daphnids. Marine plants as well as invertebrates may actively accumulate barium from sea water.

Barium is a competitive potassium channel antagonist that blocks the passive efflux of intracellular potassium, resulting in a shift of potassium from extracellular to intracellular compartments. The intracellular translocation of potassium results in a decreased resting membrane potential, making the muscle fibers electrically unexcitable and causing paralysis. (L214)

Cough. Sore throat.

Redness.

Redness. Pain.

Ingesting excess barium may cause vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, difficulties in breathing, increased or decreased blood pressure, numbness around the face, and muscle weakness. High levels may result in changes in heart rhythm or paralysis and possibly death. (L214)

Barium and Compounds

Urinary

2 x 10 ^-1 mg/kg-day

Consideration should be given to the skin, eye, heart, & lung in any placement or periodic examination.

... Individuals with pulmonary diseases /should be protected from exposure/.

Acute toxicity was evaluated in a bioassay of mice L-cells exposed to a test water medium containing lead, silver, arsenic, barium, cadmium, and chromium had EC50 values (50% reduction in protein synthesis) were 0.5 mg/l, lead; 0.5 mg/l, silver; 0.5 mg/l, arsenic; 0.1 mg/l, cadmium; 0.1 mg/l, barium; 0.2 mg/l, chromium. No other observations were reported.

D005; A solid waste containing barium may or may not become characterized as a hazardous waste when subjected to the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure listed in 40 CFR 261.24, and if so characterized, must be managed as a hazardous waste. /Barium/

Persons in charge of vessels or facilities are required to notify the National Response Center (NRC) immediately, when there is a release of this designated hazardous substance, in an amount equal to or greater than its reportable quantity of 1000 lb or 454 kg. The toll free number of the NRC is (800) 424-8802. The rule for determining when notification is required is stated in 40 CFR 302.4 (section IV. D.3.b). /Barium/

(AZ) ARIZONA 1,500 ug/l

(MN) MINNESOTA 2000 ug/l

EPA 2000 ug/l

Maximum Contaminant Level: 2 mg/L /Barium/

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal: 2 mg/L /Barium/