The news people are idiots. Barium isn't even listed as a normal air pollutant by the EPA. It comes up in soil pollution issues.

The number on the analysis shown in the video for barium was 68.8 ug/L.

From this paper: (boldface mine)

Barium is a naturally occurring element that is relatively abundant in the earth's crust and is found in most soils at concentrations ranging from about 15 to 3,500 mg/kg with mean values ranging between 265 and 835 mg/kg.

Barium also is present in a wide variety of food items including breads, peanut butter, cereals, pasta, fruits, vegetables, eggs, dairy products, and to a lesser extent meats, poultry, and fish at levels from 0.01 mg/kg up to 3 mg/kg. The highest concentrations of barium in food have been noted in peanut butter and peanuts (2.9 mg/kg) and Brazil nuts (3-4 mg/kg). It also is present in many public drinking water supplies at an average level of 30 μg/L, but can be as high as 300 μg/L in some regions of the United States.

...The reported serum barium levels in the child and her grandmother of 251 and 331 μg/L respectively are both above what is considered by some to be the "normal range" of 30-200 μg/L. However, other sources have reported the "normal range" to be 30-290 μg/L and 80-400 μg/L. Furthermore, while the reported levels may be somewhat above the "normal range," they are 4 to 15 times lower than the range that would be expected to produce significant clinical signs or symptoms of barium poisoning.

Note the units.

RL, I put this response under your post to you can check my numbers (especially any dropped decimals--I did this quickly) but I believe 68.8 ug/L is the same as about .07 mg/L, or .07 ppm.

Here's a water analysis of the Stamps, AK area (where the sample was "collected"), which is apparently near a Superfund site.

You can throw that into the mix and draw your own conclusions. Note also some listed government safe levels in both papers (tables near the end). If the safe limit of barium in drinking water is, in fact, 2 ppm, then the newsman was either lying or stupid.

Just to check, I looked it up separately.

Maximum levels of barium under drinking water standards: 2 mg/L, or 2000 ug/L, approximately 30 times the amount in that mason jar.

I think that's pretty much all we need to say on this particular event.

I'll just leave this silver bullet over here, and head for another thread.