Mr. Chemikaze, the stockroom coordinator at Big Chem Co., found an un-labeled bottle that needs to be properly disposed. The liquid in the bottle is clear and colorless, and must be identified before it can be sent to the disposal center. He is fairly certain that the bottle contains an aqueous barium chloride solution. Since it is cheaper to dispose of solids than liquids, Mr. Chemikaze decides to precipitate the two ions separately, as this will help him confirm his initial assumptions.

a. Describe a set of chemical reactions or laboratory procedures that would allow him to confirm that the cation was indeed barium.

b. Describe why barium must be disposed of properly. What are the health effects of excess barium in drinking water? What is the maximum allowable concentration of barium in public water systems?

c. Why aren't we as concerned with the chloride?