How toxic is barium?

[billysundays]

I've been considering using barium to add green to the flames for my colored bonfire project, since it seems like the other green colorant options, like the boric acid and the copper that I've tried so far, don't put out enough color volume to be noticeable in a strong fire. But barium is always strongly noted for its toxicity.

 

I also can't get a sense of its relative toxicity in comparison to other common pyrotechnic compounds used, for perspective. Even inhaling a small amount of copper compounds is warned to cause severe symptoms. I was considering using barium sulfate, since it seems to be considered the least toxic salt because of its insolubility, but I'm still left wondering how toxic it is once it becomes gaseous, especially considering our proximity to the fire.

 

So if anyone can weigh in on why they think I should or shouldn't used barium compounds for coloring our bonfire, or for that matter, chlorowax, copper and strontium compounds, please let know what you think, I'll very much appreciate it, thanks.

Edited September 18, 2017 by billysundays

[greenlight]

I use Barium nitrate and sometimes chlorate to make greens and as long as you wear gloves and be careful not to generate dust when handling or use a respirator should be no issues.

 

Barium sulfate is insoluble salt so it is non toxic, no need to worry there. Still wouldn't recommend ingesting it though haha.

The soluble heavy metal salts are the bad ones.

 

Sr sulfate/nitrate/chloride is not appreciatively toxic to handle as far as I know.

Edited September 18, 2017 by greenlight

[billysundays]

Thanks, that's been my understanding so far. But it still leaves open the question of the possibility of toxicity once they're vaporized out of the flames. What goes up, must come down right? And do the metals decompose to different benign molecules, or do they become oxides and precipitate back down in a fine dust.

 

I'm not too concerned about it really, just wanted to asked in case there's someone that knows something that I need to know.

[a_bab]

Ba won't make nice green flames in a bonfire, but Cu will surely do. So get some CuCl2 crystals and you'll get some really nice flames, ranging from green to blue.

[davidh]

I once blew out a plate with a heavy coating of >50% Barium Nitrate comp without thinking it through. It tastes metallic and salty. I only wear gloves with it if I want to keep my hands clean, mostly after adding water for binding. I'll wear a mask only if screening is proving dusty.

 

And I've never had an issue. I do hear from professionals that you can build up reactions to it over time, which will lead to wearing gloves when working with it.

[dagabu]

Most of the fireworkers I know have had a barium headache at least once in their life. It doesn't take much to create a vicious pounding in your head that last for a couple days.

[billysundays]

Ba won't make nice green flames in a bonfire, but Cu will surely do. So get some CuCl2 crystals and you'll get some really nice flames, ranging from green to blue.

So cupric chloride will make a green as well, that's interesting. I'll see how the green holds up in a strong fire. I've used pure copper (wire), and the green was only visible once the fire died down.

[dagabu]

We use a section of 2" copper pipe stuffed with garden hose for the best colors.

[a_bab]

That is really smart, the garden hose being made of PVC would release HCL and create the copper chloride in situ... And I guess it lasts for several fires doesn't it ?

[billysundays]

The copper would last practically forever. There are several videos of this on youtube a_bab, you should check it out. I tried this using copper wire and some PVC with good effect with some blue, and some purple would appear sporadically, but in a strong fire, the green get washed out completely, and there's no red, so my project is focusing in on the best ways to bring those 2 colors to the mix.

Edited September 19, 2017 by billysundays

[dagabu]

That is really smart, the garden hose being made of PVC would release HCL and create the copper chloride in situ... And I guess it lasts for several fires doesn't it ?

 

The hose lasts about 45 minutes in my fires, the copper tube is a decade old.

[Ubehage]

I use Barium nitrate and sometimes chlorate to make greens and as long as you wear gloves and be careful not to generate dust when handling or use a respirator should be no issues.

 

Barium sulfate is insoluble salt so it is non toxic, no need to worry there. Still wouldn't recommend ingesting it though haha.

The soluble heavy metal salts are the bad ones.

 

Sr sulfate/nitrate/chloride is not appreciatively toxic to handle as far as I know.

Thank you, this was very informative.

 

For chipping in with my 2 cents, I've always been a little relaxed about Barium Nitrate, after watching Ned Gorski handling it while saying "Some people are sensitive to this, but I am not. So I'll just use these gloves."

To me, that sounded like it's not gonna kill me before I realized what went wrong.

[OldMarine]

I take the same precautions with BaNO3 as I do with airfloat charcoal. Gloves and my respirator. The only chem I'm actually paranoid about is potassium dichromate and I treat it like it is Ebola.

[Ubehage]

I take the same precautions with BaNO3 as I do with airfloat charcoal. Gloves and my respirator. The only chem I'm actually paranoid about is potassium dichromate and I treat it like it is Ebola.

How do you dispose of any leftover Dichromate?

I haven't had the need to use any of mine yet, as I'm trying to avoid it. Though, I have some in case I ever need it.

[OldMarine]

I put mine in a rocket fuel and burn it up. I have a solution of it for use in comps but I keep it topped off and will let the hazmat crew handle it when I'm dead. It's well labeled with an MSDS sticker so I don't think they'll have a problem