BARIUM FACT SHEET Water Quality Association
In 2021 670 thousand tons of barite a natural barium sulfate ore were mined in the US most of it in Nevada By 2021 95% of barite sold in US was used as a weighting agent in natural gas and oil field drilling USGS 2021 Although it is also used in making a wide variety of electronic components in metal alloys bleaches dyes fireworks ceramics and glass Barium is released to water