Why is barium sulfate used in X-rays?

See Dr. Scott Werden's explanation. Some images: Barium is oral/gastrointestinal contrast. What is administered/ingested. Colon with patient lying on the right side. Colon with patient lying supine. The white is the barium. Air is dark. read more

Well, first, barium is only used in certain x-ray ‘applications.’ For example, with a standard x-ray examination of the abdomen, you can see some gas in the bowel, but there are lots of areas where there is fluid, or where the bowel is collapsed, and in these areas you will see just areas of soft tissue without contrast or detail. read more

Barium ion is opaque to x rays and could absorb X-rays more strongly than other compounds. Add water into the barium sulfate powder to produce the liquid suspension of barium sulfate, the patients will be asked to drink the liquid before the test; barium molecules will go through the digestive system and cover all the lining of the system, that procedure is called barium meal. read more

Because barium is a heavy element which absorbs X-rays. After a barium meal is swallowed it enters the upper G-I system; alternatively a barium enema enters the lower G-I tract. The patient is tipped this way and that so that the whole inside of the tract is covered, then X-rays are taken to show what is there. read more