LIBRARY OF THE FACULTY OF ECOLOGY
Heavy metals in drinking water.
Heavy metal water pollution problems.
Aluminum (Al)
It gets into water during water treatment, in case of technological violations, with industrial effluents. Causes a violation of the central nervous system. There is information about the neurotoxicity of aluminum, its ability to accumulate under certain conditions in the nervous tissue, liver and vital areas of the brain.
Barium (Ba)
It occurs in nature only in the form of compounds. The most common barium ores are barite (barium sulfate) and witherite (barium carbonate). Barium partly enters the environment as a result of human activities, but for water the main way of barium pollution is natural, from natural sources. As a rule, the content of barium in groundwater is low.
Long-term use of water containing barium may increase blood pressure. Even a single use of water, the content of barium in which significantly exceeds the MPC, can lead to muscle weakness and pain in the abdominal region.
Boron (B)
It enters the water from boron-bearing sedimentary rocks and rocks composed of calcareous-magnesian-ferruginous silicates, aluminosilicates of saline deposits, as well as from volcanic rocks and clays containing boron sorbed from sea water, with wastewater from glass, metallurgical, engineering, textile, ceramic, tanning industries and municipal wastewater containing detergents, when boron-containing fertilizers are introduced into the soil and in places where boron-containing ores are developed.
Boron accumulates in plants, especially vegetables and fruits.
With a short use of boron in high concentrations, irritation of the gastrointestinal tract occurs. With prolonged - the violation of the digestive processes becomes chronic, boric intoxication occurs, which can affect the liver, kidneys, and the central nervous system.
Mn - Manganese
It enters surface waters as a result of the leaching of manganese-containing minerals during the decomposition of aquatic animals and plant organisms. Manganese compounds are carried out into water bodies with waste water from chemical industry enterprises.
Mn is a heavy metal, with a high content of it, water acquires a yellowish color and astringent taste.
At levels in the water supply in excess of 0.1 mg / l, manganese can cause deposits in the distribution system, stains on plumbing fixtures and linens, and an unpleasant taste in drinks. Even at a concentration of 0.02 mg / l, manganese often forms a film on the pipes, which flakes off as a black precipitate.
At the same time, the presence of manganese in drinking water is necessary for the functioning of the brain and the cardiovascular system, however, an excess of it can cause diseases of the bone and hematopoietic systems, have a toxic and / or mutagenic effect on humans.
Lead (Pb)
Its presence in waste waters indicates their pollution, or migration of Pb from water supply structures.
Negatively affects the central and peripheral nervous systems
Zinc (Zn)
Migrates vigorously in surface and ground waters.
The body's daily requirement for Zn is covered by eating baked goods, meat, milk, and vegetables.
Zinc plays a protective role in the body when the environment is polluted with cadmium.
Zinc deficiency in the body leads to dwarfism, delayed sexual development. With its excessive intake into the body, a carcinogenic effect and toxic effect on the heart, blood, kidneys are possible, it can cause a decrease in appetite, anemia, allergic diseases, hyperactivity, dermatitis, weight deficiency, decreased visual acuity, hair loss, delayed sexual development in boys.
Description
Barium is an alkaline earth metal. Barium compounds are widely used in the oil, electronic, and paper industries. This element is a silvery white metal with a density of 3.78 g / cc. see In nature, barium is not found in its pure form. The most common compounds are barium sulfate and barium carbonate. Barium enters the water from natural sources, only a small fraction can be attributed to human activities. A large concentration of the metal is found in areas where minerals such as witherite and barite are found. The content of barium in water can be from 1 to 20 mg / l, while the permissible concentration of a substance in drinking water according to the standards of the World Health Organization should not exceed 0.7 mg / l, in Russia this indicator is at around 0.1 mg / l ... Therefore, questions about the content of barium in drinking water and water purification from this element are important. The impact of metal on human health is high. Drinking water with a high content of this substance can lead to high blood pressure, muscle weakness, and abdominal pain. Therefore, it is so important to purify water from this element.
Getting results
Research results can be obtained using one of the following options:
- in the "personal account" on the website www.site;
- by e-mail specified in the application when submitting samples to the laboratory;
- in the laboratory office;
- delivery by courier (additional payment);
- delivery by courier service (additional payment);
- you can get the result in English (translation is paid additionally).
The test results are available for obtaining in any specified way only from the moment of full readiness of all ordered laboratory tests
Lab24 - the latest technology for objective results
The Lab24 company, accredited by the Federal Accreditation Service "Rosaccreditation", has a wide area of competence, which makes it possible to comprehensively solve problems related to the assessment and analysis of the objects under study. State of the art equipment, as well as the use of advanced techniques capable of delivering low detection limits, outstanding data quality and unparalleled customer service, are fundamental to our business. Our mission is to provide top quality analytical services to meet the needs of our clients. Our work is aimed at improving the environment, human health and making accurate decisions.
In 1774, the famous Swedish pharmacist Karl Scheele discovered such a chemical element as barium. And this is a big shame that such an important discovery was delayed, because it could have been made back in the Middle Ages, if local alchemists had paid more attention to scientific ores, and not to the invention of the philosopher's stone. Many of them dreamed of learning how to get pure gold from cheap metals, but futile attempts did not lead to anything. However, it was these experiments that became the prerequisites for the discovery of barium.
In the seventeenth century, Vincenzio Casciorolo, an Italian alchemist and shoemaker in one person, discovered a large, heavy stone in the mountains and tried to test it for gold. With the help of coal and drying oil, the unlucky gold digger calcined the stone, but nothing of value was found in it, but something interesting happened. The stone began to glow with a red light, and this glow did not disappear even after it had completely cooled down. Vincenzio told his colleagues about his discovery, who began to conduct various experiments on similar stones, wanting to get gold.
It was only 170 years later that Scheele discovered barium oxide. But in its pure form, this metal was obtained by the English chemist Humphrey Davy only in 1808. Barium got its name due to its heaviness, because in Greek "barium" means "heavy". Indeed, among all light metals (namely, barium belongs to them), this element has the most significant weight. So the name is quite justified.
Barium is an alkaline earth metal, has a silvery white color, and is soft and slightly viscous in texture. It cannot be found in its pure form in nature. Barium is obtained artificially from sulfates, carbonates, silicates, as well as from barite and heavy spar. In addition, this metal can be found in water and living organisms: plants and animal organs.
Biological role
What is the role of barium in human life. According to scientists, this metal has not yet been thoroughly studied. And, in their amicable opinion, it does not possess vital value. But the process of studying the metal is not over yet, so everything can change radically, and now barium is referred to as toxic ultramicroelements.
With various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as cardiovascular diseases in the body, the level of barium sharply decreases. It also became known that a small amount of this mineral can affect the smooth muscles of the intestine, for example, with barium poisoning, muscle weakness and even muscle spasms may appear.
Overdose and barium deficiency symptoms
A person weighing about 70 kg contains at least 20-22 mg of barium. In the intestine, barium salts are absorbed in the smallest quantities, but in the respiratory tract this element is 5-6 times more. Barium is found not only in muscle tissues, it is also found in the brain, and in the spleen, and in the lens of the eye, and in the blood, bones and teeth. The latter contain the greatest amount of barium in comparison with other organs and tissues. In teeth and bones - about 90% of the total. This element is very well in harmony with calcium, if necessary, it can even replace it, since these minerals are very similar in their chemical properties. But with an excessive amount of barium, for example, when its content in soils is exceeded, a violation of calcium metabolism may occur. And as a result, you can earn Urovsky disease - a serious illness, against the background of which, due to the rapid leaching of calcium, the ossification processes slow down, and the musculoskeletal system quickly wears out.
The dose of barium harmful to human health is approximately 200 mg. And the deadly dose is not clearly defined, according to some sources it starts from 0.8 g, according to others - from 3.8 g. Still, the first option seems more likely.
Barium does not cause cancer or mutations, but its danger lies in its toxicity. Only barium sulfate, which is used in medicine, is safe, it is used for X-rays. When the amount of barium in the body is exceeded, it begins to damage blood cells, muscle tissue, neurons, heart tissue and other important organs.
Excessive intake of barium in the human body in most cases is associated with industrial or household poisoning. At least, this is how scientists explain this phenomenon.
Many industries use this metal. Among them are oil, electrical, paper, glass, paint and varnish, metallurgical, rubber, ceramic, printing and many others.
Barium fluoride is used in the processing of wood and in the production of insecticidal agents. Thus, it is also used in the agricultural sector, and this substance is toxic to humans, animals and plants equally. That is why it needs to be studied properly.
According to scientists, in those areas of rural areas where barium is actively used for pest control, a disease such as leukemia is much more common. And even such banal things as plaster contain compounds of that metal, which means that builders also have a risk of earning some kind of illness against the background of an excess of barium.
Water-soluble barium salts are very dangerous: carbonates, sulfates, nitrates and chlorides. Only phosphates and barium sulfates are considered safe.
When poisoning with barium salts, the following symptoms appear: a burning sensation in the mouth, profuse saliva, vomiting, intestinal colic, diarrhea, profuse sweating and pallor of the skin. The nervous system also sends distress signals: tinnitus appears, coordination is impaired, brain activity is upset. Pulse weakens, arrhythmias or bradycardia may occur.
There is also a chronic form of barium poisoning. True, its manifestation is not as sharp as in the acute form, but it is no less dangerous for humans. A similar problem can only arise for people working in production where the air is polluted with barium compounds. The fact is that inhalation of dust with such compounds leads to numerous diseases of the respiratory tract, which are aggravated by the fibrotic process. Scars and thickening of the tissues lead to severe shortness of breath, which progressively worsens, bringing with it a dry, uncontrollable cough and chest pain. The consequences can be not only changes in the airways and pulmonary insufficiency, but also pneumonia, various bronchitis and tuberculosis.
Excess barium is difficult to correct. In some situations, a successful outcome is almost impossible. To neutralize barium salts, calcium and magnesium sulfate salts must be introduced. Only they are able to convert barium salts into sulfates, which can then be safely removed from the body.
With a severe degree of poisoning, help should be lightning fast, which is sometimes impossible, in such situations, death can occur within 24 hours. Already 0.2-0.5 g of these substances can cause severe poisoning, not to mention 0.8 g, which can lead to death.
With such a severe poisoning, it is urgent to do a gastric lavage and an enema with a solution of magnesium and sodium sulfate. With the help of emetics, insoluble barium salts can be removed, but this should already occur in a hospital setting, as well as subsequent treatment.
Few people would think to take barium orally, but in medical practice there have been cases when it was mistakenly used instead of another drug. That is why you need to know how to behave in such a situation.
If we talk about working in hazardous industries, then the main thing here is to make a spectral analysis of the hair on time, a special procedure that will help determine the presence of chronic poisoning with barium salts. After all, you can ignore the problem for many years until one day a crisis comes. Of course, the price of the procedure is rather big, but health is still more expensive. So it is worthwhile to protect yourself and get tested, and in addition to this, it is advisable to analyze drinking water in your region from time to time.
Daily barium requirement
Despite the fact that the properties of barium are poorly understood, there is a daily rate of this mineral. It is equal to 0.3-0.9 mg per day. The impact of barium on the human body is not always negative. When it works with acetylcholine (one of the main neurotransmitters), they work together to relax the heart muscle.
The human body receives barium from food and water. This mineral is very rich in seafood, it is many times more in them than in sea water, and in seaweed it is even more. The same applies to plants: if the soil is rich in barium, then the plant growing on it will exceed this amount many times. There can also be a lot of barium in the water, it all depends on the location of the source, but there is not much of this element in the air.
Barium, one of the elements of Mendeleev's periodic table, was discovered in 1774 by a well-known chemist and pharmacist, Karl Scheele from Sweden. Barium - an alkaline earth metal, has a silvery-white color, soft, slightly viscous. It is impossible to meet it in nature in its pure form, it is isolated, if necessary, from compounds - silicates, carbonates, sulfates; as well as minerals, more often heavy spar (barite). Barium is also found in water, in living organisms - animal tissues, some plants.
Barium in the bodyhuman
And what does barium mean to us, what role does it play in the human body? According to biologists, it has not been sufficiently studied, it is not even conditionally considered a vital element. Nonetheless, barium is being studied, and more will likely be known about its role soon. In the meantime, scientists have attributed it to the group of toxic ultramicroelements.
In the case of diseases of the digestive system, some diseases of the cardiovascular system, the content of barium in the body decreases. It has been proven that even negligible amounts of barium have a noticeable effect on smooth muscles - after all, in the case of barium poisoning, severe muscle weakness is noted, muscle spasms appear.
And although the role of barium has not been fully understood, the daily dose required for a person has been determined: 0.3 - 0.9 mg. In addition, the relaxing effect of barium is by no means always harmful: scientists have proven that barium works simultaneously with acetylcholine, which is the main neurotransmitter, it helps to relax the heart muscles.
Barium in food
Barium enters the human body with water and food. Some seafood contains dozens of times (sea plants - hundreds) more than sea water. The content of barium in plants - soybeans, tomatoes can be several tens of times higher than the content in the soils on which they grow; sometimes it happens that a lot of barium is in drinking water, but not often; and very little in the air.
Excess barium
The human body, whose body weight is about 70 kg, contains about 20-22 mg of barium. Soluble barium salts in the intestine are absorbed in small quantities; in the respiratory organs, it can be 6-8 times more. Barium is found not only in the tissues of muscles and blood - in bones and teeth its content is higher than in other tissues of the body - almost 90%. Barium in the body interacts well with calcium - it is able to replace it in the bones, since it has biochemical properties close to it. But in the case of a constant excess intake of barium - for example, if it is abundant in soils - a violation of calcium metabolism occurs, which can lead to the development of a serious disease - Urovsky disease, which is characterized by a slowdown in ossification processes, rapid wear of the musculoskeletal system.
In the human body, barium is found in the brain, muscles, spleen, lens of the eye.
It has been established that a dose of 200 mg is considered harmful to humans; opinions differ regarding the lethal dose - it fluctuates in the range 0, 8 - 3, 7 g, there is a possibility that the first figure is more accurate.
Barium is not considered an element that can cause cancer or mutations, but its compounds are toxic to humans, with the exception of a substance used in medicine for X-ray studies - barium sulfate.
The increased content of barium in the body negatively affects neurons, blood cells, heart tissue, and other organs.
How does the body get excess barium? According to biologists, this is the so-called "excess intake" - although they do not specify how it occurs, there is an assumption that this could be industrial and domestic poisoning.
Barium fluoride, which is used in the processing of wood, in the production of insecticides - therefore, it is used in agriculture, but it can have a harmful effect on humans and animals, therefore, it requires careful study.
Studies have confirmed that rural residents are more likely to suffer from leukemia in areas where barium compounds are used for pest control; some types of finishing materials - for example, plaster, can cause illness in builders working with them.
Water-soluble barium salts are also considered to be dangerous for humans - carbonates, sulfides, chlorides, nitrates; but barium sulfates and phosphates are practically safe.
In case of poisoning with barium salts, the symptoms are pronounced: a burning sensation in the mouth, esophagus, profuse salivation, nausea, vomiting, dyspepsia, colic in the intestines. Signs of damage to the nervous system: disorders of the brain, impaired coordination of movements, the appearance of tinnitus, dizziness; signs of damage to the cardiovascular system: bradycardia, weak pulse, extrasystole; profuse sweating - cold sweat, pale skin.
Chronic poisoning can occur in workers in hazardous industries, it does not have such a sharp manifestation. Inhalation of dust containing barium compounds, over time, workers develop pneumoconiosis - damage to the lungs with the formation of a fibrotic process in them. Scars and thickening appear in the connective tissue, progressive shortness of breath develops, manifested by a dry cough. Signs of pulmonary insufficiency gradually join, changes in the airways and other complications occur: bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis.
Loading ...