Barium in NYC: From Drinking Water to Health Impacts
- Published:
- Updated: December 16, 2024
Summary
Barium levels in NYC’s tap water raise concerns about health impacts. Key points:
- Barium Basics: A common metal found in nature, barium can enter water sources through natural erosion or industrial activities.
- Regulatory Standards: Federal and state guidelines set maximum allowable levels, but localized variations and seasonal fluctuations can occur.
- Health Impacts: While trace amounts are generally safe, elevated levels can lead to gastrointestinal issues and long-term health risks, particularly for vulnerable populations.
Clean and safe water is as old as civilisation. Yet, even in our hyperaggressive modernity, the issue of water quality is still hot potato, particularly in high-density cities such as New York City. The one ingredient that’s not mentioned is barium – a metal, with many industrial uses.
What is Barium and Where is it Found?
Barium is an alkaline earth metal and belongs to class 2 of the periodic table alongside its more familiar relatives calcium and magnesium. The element occurs mostly in ores and soils and is used in everything from X-ray diagnostic tests to some kinds of glass and ceramics.
All over the planet, barium is relatively abundant in Earth’s crust. But its concentration can be hugely variable, as it is in the sandstone and by human hand. Identifying the sites where barium occurs the most can help us figure out what its fate might be in our everyday tap water.
How Does Barium Enter NYC's Water Supply?
Barium also enters water bodies by eroding bedrock and soil. Coastal areas where there is more shale or igneous rock might lead to higher barium in the groundwater. For New York City, for example, natural sources could be the Catskill and Delaware watersheds.
Other than in nature, industry such as mining, drilling and wastewater disposal also contributes to high levels of barium. Importantly, once barium gets into a water supply, you can’t really flush it out with ordinary water treatment processes, and this is where we get to the regulatory issues.
Regulatory Standards for Barium in Drinking Water
The federal barium standards for drinking water are established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Now the highest level that can be reached is 2 mg per litre. That is supposed to offer an immense cushion against risks of disease such as hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.
New York State usually follows the federal rule but there may be a localized difference. What’s more, other countries could have different requirements. In the European Union, for example, it’s about the same limit if a bit stricter. This leads to a maze of regulations’ standards that publics can be disorientated by.
Measuring Barium Levels in NYC
The numbers from various environmental groups give you some idea of the amount of barium in NYC’s drinking water. For the most part, levels are within the safe federal and state limits. Yet localized "hotspots" could be temporarily above normal, for whatever geological or industrial reason.
Seasonal variations can also occur. In dry years, barium concentrations may drop, in wet ones they may rise. That means frequent monitoring, especially in regions with industrial pollution or certain geological features where barium can build up.
Health Impacts of Barium: The Good, the Bad, and the Uncertain
While barium does not count as an essential nutrient, even trace amounts aren’t dangerous and even exist in certain foods. But barium is a risk to your health when you consume too much of it.
In the short-term side-effects: Nausea, vomiting, gastrointestinal upset.
Effects on the heart: High blood pressure, kidney failure, and cardiovascular problems Long term: High blood pressure, kidney stones, and cardiovascular problems.
Effects on vulnerable groups: Infants, older adults and people with certain chronic diseases are at particular risk.
But first let me say this: the study of barium’s health effects is still in progress, and some of them, such as the impact on brain function, are a mystery.
Myths and Misconceptions About Barium
This "natural" argument, that everything is necessarily safe, can mislead people about barium. Though it is a natural property, concentration and environment make it or break it. Relying too much on its "natural" status, and ignoring the dangers associated with its use in water is easy.
And some "detox" fashions misrepresent that barium cleanses your body. Actually, high levels of barium can be the opposite: toxicity and even disease. This is where facts versus fiction come into play when it comes to your water and your health.
How to Test for Barium in Your Water
For those of you who worry about barium in your tap water, water labs are the best bet. This is offered by numerous environmental authorities and private NYC water testing labs and gives you precise and detailed data.
You can purchase test kits for yourself but they have some limits on how accurately and how broad a detection you can get. The results can be confusing if you don’t know the chemical concentrations and the connections to federal and state regulations, so please seek advice from an expert.
What Can Be Done to Reduce Barium Levels?
The reverse osmosis or special resin-based water filtration systems can be used to purify water of barium. But if you prefer to engage on a policy front, fighting for better regulatory models can help too.
And industries are also in on this. Through sustainability – for example, efficient waste disposal and emission reductions – barium can be reduced from water bodies, for the benefit not only of one household, but of a whole community.
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