One of several immensely important features that you have to inspect while searching for a camping water filter is if it might possibly properly clear away highly harmful and toxic compounds in your standard water source. For instance, will your drinking water filtration strip away barium?

Barium is a white silvery metal widely used in making a wide variety of electric components, fireworks, dyes, and ceramics.  It is used in metal alloys, bleaches, and glass. Barium sulfate and barium carbonate, two forms of barium, are often found in nature as underground ore deposits. And, they are few of the many contaminants found in drinking water, though only in small amounts.

Exposure to such contaminants has health effects depending on the specific barium compound and amount of exposure especially those barium compounds that can be dissolved in water.  Among such compounds are barium carbonate, barium sulfide, and barium hydroxide.  Also soluble in water are the compounds barium acetate, barium nitrate, and barium chloride.

Drinking a small amount of water containing barium for a short period of time may cause you to experience increase in blood pressure, difficulties in breathing, stomach irritation, muscle weakness, and swelling in the brain, as well as changes in heart rhythm, nerve reflexes and in blood. Damage to different organs like the heart, kidney, liver, and spleen is also a possible side effect. Studies also showed that when exposed to a fairly large amount, you may experience serious adverse health effects like paralysis or death in few individuals. Though, there is no reliable information concerning whether barium compounds may cause cancer or birth defects.

Studies about barium's possible detrimental effects to human health were done using experimental animals rather than human subjects.  Rats that drank and ate barium over a short time had swelling and irritation of the intestines, build-up of fluid in the trachea, decrease in body weight, changes in organs, and increased number of mortalities. Those rats that drank and ate barium for a long period of time showed an increase in blood pressure.  The functioning and chemistry of their heart also changed.  Experimental rats that ingested barium over a long period of time also died earlier than their normal lifespan.

Contaminants in drinking water do not only consist of different barium compounds but also other toxic metals like copper, lead and so on.  To detect if you have contaminated water, it is best if you ask your local government to test your water supplies. It is always better to be vigilant when the health of you and your family is at risk.  It is also important that you protect yourself with water treatment facilities.

In conclusion, be certain to review the make of camping water filter that you would like to choose. Ensure that it filters out and even removes nasty substances such as barium from your water.