Origin : The name comes from the Greek ‘barys’, meaning heavy.
Description :
A soft silvery metal that rapidly tarnishes in air and reacts with water. ‘Barium meals’ and ‘barium enemas’ (barium sulfate) are given to patients suffering from digestive disorders: the action of the stomach and intestines can be seen as the metal’s progress through the body is revealed by X-rays. Most barium sulfate is now used in drilling fluids for oil and gas wells, and several million tonnes a year are manufactured.
Image :
Digestive disorder. Click here to see larger version of this image.
