1. Stay Away From Heavy Industrial Areas
Barium is most often found in mining and refining sites and from places that burn large amounts of coal and oil. It gets into the air and can settle into the nearby soil as well. While rarely immediately noticeable, barium can build up over time just like similar poisonous elements, resulting in severe damage to your health. If you work in such areas, adhere to regulated safety standards.
2. Refrain From Eating Fish
Some barium compounds, like barium sulfide and barium carbonate can accumulate in water and be absorbed by the species living there. Fish and shellfish tend to accumulate barium much more rapidly than other kinds of food. If you want to avoid excessive amounts of the element, then you may want to leave them out of your diet. This is particularly true in areas near heavy industrial sites and with fish you catch yourself rather than buying at the store.
3. Filter Your Water
Barium from industrial sites and toxic waste dumps can filter into lakes and streams and trickle into the ground water as well. A good filtration system in your home or workplace can get rid of harmful elements in your drinking water. Water softeners like sodium can get rid of barium very efficiently, as can electrodialysis and forms of reverse osmosis. Many civic water services practice these filtration techniques, and can tell you more if you contact them. If you're concerned about their effectiveness, you can purchase an affordable individual water filtration system to install under your sink at any hardware store or home improvement store.
4. Get a Blood or Urine Test
Barium poisoning is fairly uncommon, and there aren't any standardized tests to determine the presence of the mineral in your body. However, doctors can test for a barium presence in your blood or urine to let you know if poisoning may be a possibility. Tests can only determine the presence of barium, not the overall levels or the long-term effects on your health.
