Toxicological profile for barium and barium compounds

49 

BARIUM AND BARIUM COMPOUNDS 

3.  HEALTH EFFECTS 

Gastrointestinal Effects.    

All cases of acute oral barium poisoning in adults exhibit gastrointestinal 

disturbances as the initial symptoms.  These include gastric pain, vomiting, and diarrhea (Das and Singh 

1970; Diengott et al. 1964; Downs et al. 1995; Gould et al. 1973; Jha et al. 1993; Lewi and Bar-Khayim 

1964; McNally 1925; Morton 1945; Ogen et al. 1967; Phelan et al. 1984; Silva 2003; Talwar and Sharma 

1979; Wetherill et al. 1981).  In one case, severe gastrointestinal hemorrhage occurred in an adult male 

victim (Diengott et al. 1964). 

Although gastrointestinal effects have been observed in some animal studies, most studies have not found 

effects.  Inflammation of the intestines was noted in rats receiving a single gavage dose of 198 mg 

barium/kg as barium chloride (Borzelleca et al. 1988); but not in rats administered 10 doses of 198 mg 

barium/kg/day (Borzelleca et al. 1988).  Stomach rupture, bowel obstruction, and gastrointestinal 

hemorrhage have been observed in rats dosed with barium sulfate; however, those adverse effects were 

most likely due to the massive doses of barium sulfate used in the study (25–40% of body weight) and not 

necessarily to barium toxicity (Boyd and Abel 1966).  A 15-day exposure of male and female rats and 

mice to 110 or 70 mg barium/kg/day as barium chloride in drinking water, respectively, did not result in 

histological alterations in the gastrointestinal tract (NTP 1994).  No gross or microscopic lesions of the 

esophagus, stomach, pancreas, small intestines, or colon were noted in several intermediate and chronic 

experiments in which male and female rats were exposed to doses as high as 180 mg barium/kg/day as an 

unspecified barium compound or barium chloride in drinking water (McCauley et al. 1985; NTP 1994) or 

male and female mice exposed to doses as high as 450 mg barium/kg/day as barium chloride (NTP 1994). 

Hematological Effects.

    Results of animal studies indicate that acute, intermediate, and chronic oral 

exposure to barium is not associated with any adverse hematological effects.  No alterations were found 

in rats administered 198 mg barium/kg/day as barium chloride for 10 days (Borzelleca et al. 1988) or in 

rats or mice exposed to 110 or 70 mg/kg/day, respectively, as barium chloride in drinking water for 

15 days (NTP 1994).  Intermediate and chronic oral exposure of rats to barium acetate and barium 

chloride in drinking water has not been associated with any significant or treatment-related changes in a 

variety of hematological parameters (NTP 1994; Tardiff et al. 1980).  Elemental barium doses in these 

intermediate and chronic drinking water studies ranged from 15 to 450 mg/kg/day. 

Musculoskeletal Effects.

    The predominant musculoskeletal effect observed in cases of barium 

toxicity in humans is progressive muscle weakness, often leading to partial or total paralysis (Das and 

Singh 1970; Diengott et al. 1964; Gould et al. 1973; Lewi and Bar-Khayim 1964; McNally 1925; Morton 

1945; Ogen et al. 1967; Phelan et al. 1984; Wetherill et al. 1981).  In severe cases, the paralysis affects 

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50 

BARIUM AND BARIUM COMPOUNDS 

3.  HEALTH EFFECTS 

the respiratory system (Das and Singh 1970; Gould et al. 1973; Lewi and Bar-Khayim 1964; Morton 

1945; Ogen et al. 1967; Phelan et al. 1984; Wetherill et al. 1981).  The likely cause of the muscle 

weakness was the barium-induced hypokalemia rather than a direct effect on muscles. 

Very limited animal data are available regarding the musculoskeletal effects of barium following oral 

exposure.  No gross and microscopic lesions were observed in skeletal system of several intermediate and 

chronic experiments in which rats were exposed to an unspecified barium compound or barium chloride 

in drinking water at doses as high as 180 mg barium/kg/day for intermediate duration and as high as 

60 mg barium/kg/day for chronic duration (McCauley et al. 1985; NTP 1994; Tardiff et al. 1980); 

similarly, no effects were observed in mice exposed to 450 or 160 mg barium/kg/day as barium chloride 

in drinking water for intermediate or chronic durations, respectively (NTP 1994).   

Hepatic Effects.

    In one case study involving accidental acute ingestion of barium carbonate in an 

adult female, some degeneration of the liver was noted post-mortem (McNally 1925).  Adverse hepatic 

effects in animals following oral barium exposure have been minor or have not been observed.  Decreased 

liver/brain weight ratio and darkened liver were observed in rats administered a single gavage dose of 

198 mg barium/kg as barium chloride; however, these changes were not associated with any microscopic 

hepatic lesions or alterations in serum enzymes (e.g., serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase [SGOT], 

serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase [SGPT], alkaline phosphatase).  No histological or liver weight 

alterations were observed in rats dosed with 198 mg barium/kg/day as barium chloride for 1 or 10 days 

(Borzelleca et al. 1988) or in rats and mice exposed to 110 or 70 mg barium/kg/day, respectively, as 

barium chloride in drinking water for 15 days (NTP 1994).  Intermediate and chronic studies involving 

oral exposure of rats or mice to barium in drinking water did not find significant alterations in liver 

weight or liver histopathology following exposure to doses as high as 180 mg barium/kg/day for rats and 

450 mg barium/kg/day for mice (McCauley et al. 1985; NTP 1994; Schroeder and Mitchener 1975a, 

1975b; Tardiff et al. 1980). 

Renal Effects.

    Toxic effects on the kidneys have been observed in several adult cases of acute barium 

poisoning.  Effects include hemoglobin in the urine (Gould et al. 1973) (which may be indicative of 

kidney damage), renal insufficiency (Lewi and Bar-Khayim 1964; Phelan et al. 1984), degeneration of the 

kidneys (McNally 1925), and acute renal failure (Wetherill et al. 1981). 

Studies in animals suggest that the kidney is a critical target of barium toxicity.  An increase in relative 

kidney weight (kidney/brain weight ratio) was observed in male and female rats receiving a single gavage 

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