Barium - never found on its own

Barium is never found on its own in nature, as it loves buddying up - but a version of it is found in hospitals. Allan Blackman from AUT reveals barium's secrets in episode 9 of Elemental.

Barium loves to buddy up with other chemicals, which means it doesn't occur on its own in nature.

This alkaline earth metal (symbol Ba and atomic number 56) is used to visualise the gut during diagnostic x-rays and will be familiar to anyone who has had to go to hospital for a barium meal or a barium enema.

Professor Allan Blackman from AUT explores barium in episode 8 of Elemental.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details