why is barium sulfate not harmful to the human body?

Question

i know that barium alone is harmful to the body, but why isnt barium sulfate?

Answer 1

Most barium salts are extremely poisonous. Barium Sulfate is not poisonous to humans because it has an extremely low solubility in water. If it can't dissolve, it can't poison you.

Answer 2

Because it isn't really absorbed by the body, it just passes through. It is not soluble- meaning it doesn't like water, so the GI tract can't absorb it. As it passes, it "lights up" the area it is going through, so images can be taken.
Because it's opaque, it's not as good a diagnostic tool as a CT scan which gives a better picture, but for people who are more sensitive to dyes, barium can be safer.
Sulfate is a sulphur molecule bonded to several oxygen molecules, so it's slightly (-2) negatively charged and won't be absorbed as easily into the GI tract. It binds well to the barium (+2) and the charges carry it through. That's the simplest way I can explain it.
Barium alone is so radioactive and charged that it can poison you with prolonged exposure.
Hope this helps!

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
why is barium sulfate not harmful to the human body?
i know that barium alone is harmful to the body, but why isnt barium sulfate?

Answer 4

The health effects of the different barium compounds depend on how well the compound dissolves in water or in the stomach contents. Barium compounds that do not dissolve well, such as barium sulfate, are not generally harmful.

Barium has been found to potentially cause gastrointestinal disturbances and muscular weakness when people are exposed to it at levels above the EPA drinking water standards for relatively short periods of time. Some people who eat or drink amounts of barium above background levels found in food and water for a short period may experience vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, difficulties in breathing, increased or decreased blood pressure, numbness around the face, and muscle weakness. Eating or drinking very large amounts of barium compounds that easily dissolve can cause changes in heart rhythm or paralysis and possibly death. Animals that drank barium over long periods had damage to the kidneys, decreases in body weight, and some died.

Answer 5

Is Barium Radioactive