Concise International Chemical Assessment Document 33

Concise International Chemical Assessment Document 33

26

Cuddihy & Griffith, 1972) suggest that gastrointestinal

absorption may be higher in children than in adults.

The overall confidence in the tolerable intake value

calculated in section 11.1.2 is medium, reflecting medium

confidence in the principal studies and in the database.

There is medium confidence in the human co-principal

studies because LOAELs for hypertension and kidney

disease were not identified. The lack of cardiovascular

measurements (heart rate, blood pressure, or

electrocardiogram recordings) in the long-term animal

studies that used adequate diets (NTP, 1994) reduces the

confidence in the animal co-principal studies. Confi-

dence in the database is medium because of the exis-

tence of medium-term and long-term human studies,

medium-term and long-term animal studies in more than

one species, and a reproductive/developmental study in

rats and mice.

11.2

Evaluation of environmental effects 

Barium is present in soil at an average concentra-

tion of 500 mg/g (Brooks, 1978). Concentrations ranging

from 0.04 to 37 mg/litre (mean approximately 7.1 mg/litre)

and from 7.0 to 15 000 mg/litre (average 50 mg/litre) have

been measured in ocean and fresh waters, respectively

(Anderson & Hume, 1968; Schroeder et al., 1972; Reeves,

1986). Levels of barium in the air are generally 

#

0.05

mg/m

3

 (Tabor & Warren, 1958). In a more recent survey

in the USA, ambient barium concentrations ranged from

0.0015 to 0.95 mg/m

3

 (US EPA, 1984). Barium salts are no

longer used in developing countries as pesticides and

rodenticides.

No information was located concerning the

potential for toxicity in plants or animals exposed to

ambient airborne barium. Based on available studies in

laboratory animals exposed to barium in controlled

atmospheres, environmentally encountered levels of

barium in air would not be expected to pose a toxic threat

to wildlife or flora.

Soluble barium compounds are capable of being

transported through the environment and absorbed by

organisms (IPCS, 1990). Barium may accumulate in

different parts of plants (IPCS, 1990). There is no

indication that barium is toxic to terrestrial plants.

No studies were located regarding toxic effects in

terrestrial animals orally exposed to barium compounds

present in the environment. Based on laboratory studies

reporting a chronic oral NOAEL of 45 mg/kg body

weight per day in rats and measured mean levels of

barium in the environment, it is not likely that animals

would be adversely affected via oral exposure to typical

barium concentrations encountered in the environment.

The potential for toxicity might be increased in areas

where barium is released to surface waters or in animals

feeding on plants that accumulate high levels of barium

from barium-rich soils (Robinson et al., 1950).

Although Stanley (1974) found reduced root

weight in Eurasian watermilfoil exposed to a barium

concentration of 41.2 mg/litre, there is no indication that

barium is toxic to aquatic plants at the highest concen-

tration (15 000 mg/litre) reported from environmental

sampling. 

Barium concentrations of 5.8 mg/litre have been

observed to impair reproduction and growth in daphnids

during 21-day tests (Biesinger & Christensen, 1972). In

96-h tests using amphipods, LC

50

 values in the range of

122–238 mg/litre were reported (Vincent et al., 1986). A

48-h EC

50

 (developmental) value in the mussel Mytilus

californianus is 0.189 mg/litre (Spangenberg & Cherr,

1996). The 30-day LC

50

 values for freshwater crayfish

range from 39 to 61 mg/litre (Boutet & Chaisemartin,

1973).

There is little information on the potential for

adverse effects in fish exposed to barium compounds. In

the only study located, an LC

50

 value in sheepshead

minnows was greater than 500 mg/litre (Heitmuller et al.,

1981).

Based on toxic effects observed in daphnids

(Biesinger & Christensen, 1972), mussels (Spangenberg

& Cherr, 1996), and other aquatic organisms exposed to

barium concentrations that were within the upper range

of those concentrations measured in surface waters, it

appears that aquatic environments with relatively high

barium concentrations may represent a risk to some

aquatic populations. However, the paucity of informa-

tion on environmental effects of exposure to barium com-

pounds precludes a critical evaluation of environmental

risk.

12. PREVIOUS EVALUATIONS BY

INTERNATIONAL BODIES

Barium was evaluated in the WHO Guidelines for

drinking-water quality, and a guideline value of 0.7 mg

barium/litre was established (WHO, 1996).

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Barium and barium compounds

27

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