Submitted by amy6464269 t3_ybu3k1 in jerseycity
thebruns t1_itj5fev wrote
Don't.
>A global helium shortage has doctors worried about one of the natural gas’s most essential, and perhaps unexpected, uses: MRIs.
>Strange as it sounds, the lighter-than-air element that gives balloons their buoyancy also powers the vital medical diagnostic machines. An MRI can’t function without some 2,000 liters of ultra-cold liquid helium keeping its magnets cool enough to work. But helium — a nonrenewable element found deep within the Earth’s crust — is running low, leaving hospitals wondering how to plan for a future with a much scarcer supply.
>“Helium has become a big concern,” said Mahadevappa Mahesh, professor of radiology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Baltimore. “Especially now with the geopolitical situation.”
>Helium has been a volatile commodity for years. This is especially true in the U.S., where a Texas-based federal helium reserve is dwindling as the government tries transferring ownership to private markets.
Glitch5450 t1_itk8p35 wrote
Medical Helium is not used to inflate balloons. The helium used to inflate balloons is not pure enough for medical use. It is a by-product gathered during the production of medical grade helium. Instead of wasting this resource, it is collected and recycled.
imaluckyduckie t1_itlt4a3 wrote
You seriously copied that from a party balloon company's Facebook post?
Regardless, helium is a non-renewable resource and the grade of helium used in balloons is used for other critical purposes like atmospheric science, welding, aerospace, etc...
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