By Richard Mesquita, AquaMD

(AquaMD is the water testing division of the American Water Council, a nationally respected provider of water education and testing services. AquaMD has teamed with Dr. Mercola to provide you both the free home water evaluation and the Dr. Mercola water testing packages at http://www.aquamd.com/mercola/labtests.cfm.)

Have you ever heard of the metal barium? If you haven't, you're not alone. Barium just hasn't gotten the media coverage that lead, arsenic and mercury have received in recent years. Nevertheless, barium is just as dangerous to your health as those other metals and shows up regularly in public water supplies.

Where Does Barium Come From?

Barium was first identified in 1774 by Carl Scheele and first extracted by Sir Humphrey Davy of England in 1808. Since then, different forms of barium have been widely used in the manufacture of countless products:

Because barium is used often in so many manufacturing operations, a lot of waste is produced that needs to be removed from the environment. How much? In 2002, the Environmental Protection Agency reported more than 222 million pounds of barium and barium compounds were legally released into the air, wells, lakes, rivers and landfills.

Ten states account for about half of all legal barium released in this country:

1. Texas (17.1 million pounds)
2. North Dakota (15.7 million pounds)
3. Illinois (11 million pounds)
4. Alabama (10.2 million pounds)
5. Michigan (10.1 million pounds)
6. Colorado (10.1 million pounds)
7. Minnesota (8.8 million pounds)
8. Ohio (8.2 million pounds)
9. Montana (7.9 million pounds)
10. Indiana (7.8 million pounds)

And 26 additional states released anywhere from 1 -- 7 million pounds of barium apiece into the environment. Of course, none of these statistics take into consideration the illegal, unreported dumping of barium metals into the environment.

How Barium Poisons Our Water Supply

In light of the millions pounds of barium released into the environment each year, it was only a matter of time until this toxic metal made it into our public water supply. Even worse, some forms of barium dissolve very easily in water, meaning, once it enters the water supply, it can spread quickly over great distances.

In fact, this has already occurred. Public water supplies contaminated with barium are everywhere. The magnitude of the problem grows worse with each passing day.

Looking at lab tests conducted on public water supplies that crossed my desk over a week's time, I found the vast majority showed some level of barium contamination. Some of the lab tests I reviewed were conducted on water from six states: Virginia, New York, California, Texas, Massachusetts and Oregon.

Again, these were only lab results that crossed my desk in one week. But that also illustrates how widespread the problem really is.

How Barium Affects Your Health

Exposure to small amounts of barium, dissolved in water, may cause a person to experience these problems:

1. Breathing difficulties
2. Increased blood pressure
3. Heart rhythm changes
4. Stomach irritation
5. Muscle weakness
6. Alterations in nerve reflexes
7. Damage to your brain, liver, kidney and heart

To date, barium has not been shown to cause cancer and has not been linked to infertility or birth defects. Not yet, anyway...

I urge you to find out if barium and other harmful contaminants are in your water supply. If they are, for the sake of you and your family's health, you may want to consider a water purification system that treats those specific problems. Please be aware, however, no single system treats every problem.

Then, see your health practitioner about removing the contaminants that may have accumulated in your body.

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Water Tests & Water Diagnostic Services Mercola Recommended Please don't fool yourself into thinking that you can tell your water is safe by the way it looks, tastes, or smells. Some contaminants in water are so harmful that they are measured in "parts per million" or "parts per billion." In other words, just a drop of these poisons added to gallons and gallons of water can be very harmful. Just installing a filter to purify your drinking water may not be enough. You could still be exposed to contaminated water when you: Shower or bathe Wash your hands Wash laundry Rinse fruits and vegetables Wash dishes, glasses, and other utensils If you are unsure if your water is safe, I recommend you find out by taking advantage of AquaMD's Diagnostic Service or their Direct Laboratory Testing Services. How AquaMD's Diagnostic Service Works If your water is supplied by a water company or municipality: You simply answer some brief, but pertinent questions in their online questionnaire. One of AquaMD's water diagnosticians will review your responses and contact your water company to examine the laboratory tests they have performed on your water supply. AquaMD will provide you with a written report advising: a) If the water you are using is safe right now. b) If you need a specific water treatment system to remove the contaminants found in your water. c) If some limited additional laboratory tests should be performed because your water company did not conduct them. If your water is supplied by a private well: You need to have your well water tested yourself at least once a year. Since there are hundreds of contaminants you can test for, it is not cost effective to test for every possible one. Thus AquaMD's Diagnostic Service will ask you to respond to more extensive questions. Your answers will be reviewed by one of their water diagnosticians and they will recommend exactly what lab tests you should have performed, and explain why they should be performed. If contamination is found, they will also provide you with unbiased treatment advice. AquaMD Diagnostic Service is risk-free and completely independent. If you are not satisfied with their service, they will refund your money. If you prefer, you can also take advantage of Dr. Mercola Lab Test Packages that I've created with the help of AquaMD. You can also customize your own packages to fit your needs. I encourage you to find out if your water is safe by taking advantage of AquaMD's services at AquaMD.com. The staff of AquaMD can also be reached at 1-866-278-2634 (Toll Free). Please mention that Dr. Mercola alerted you to their services. Related Articles: Arsenic: The Hidden Poison in Your Drinking Water The Dirty Little Secret Behind the Chlorine in Your Water Protect Your Drinking Water From Herbicides Is Your Water Filter Really Working?