Beyond balloons: Helium shortage could restrict scientific research
Helium, the second most abundant element in the universe after hydrogen, is experiencing a major shortage.
The current supplies of helium are extracted from underground natural gas reserves and are stored in reservoirs and pipelines.
As an extracted product of natural gas, helium is lighter than air, and when exposed to the atmosphere it escapes into space.
The United States is the largest producer of helium and provides 75 percent of the world market for the noble gas.
In 1996, Congress voted for the U.S. government to get out of the helium business. Since then, The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has been selling off its existing supply at below-market rates.
Scientists predict the lack of proper storage of helium reserves and selling at below profitable rates, which has discouraged the development of new sources, will deplete the U.S. reserves of helium by 2015.
Known for its use as the gas that fills balloons, helium is also a vital ingredient in multiple industries such as aviation, aerospace, electronics, healthcare and nuclear power.
“I began to notice a change in helium when my customers would bring back their balloons after purchase, requesting their money back because their balloon lost floatation,” said Karen Keesler, owner of Party Supply in Friendswood, Texas. “After this happened multiple times, and when ordering from my distributer seemed harder and harder, I began my research to discover the helium shortage. This became my ‘out’ of carrying balloons in my store, because I was losing money in the long run with the price of helium sky rocketing and the quality of gas decreasing. I was able to find a buyer for my tanks, and he works within the gas industry, so I refer customers to him now. ”
After researching the use of helium, Keesler discovered the more crucial uses of the nonrenewable resource.
“I knew then that the shortage would decrease the demand for party balloons, and increase the demand for the medical field and industry workers; those are far more important.” Keesler said.
Scientific research and healthcare will suffer the greatest impact as helium reserves tighten. The helium shortage is driving up the price of the element to above-market rates and negatively impacting the manufacturing of microchips, optic fiber, medical lasers, MRI machines, respiratory machines and more.
The colorless, odorless, tasteless chemical element has extreme melting and boiling points making it useful in cryogenics, high-energy accelerators, arc welding and silicon wafer manufacturing.
The reduction in the availability of helium could eventually force hospitals to restrict access to MRI’s or replace the use of MRI magnets.
“The MRI magnets used today are ‘superconducting’ magnets,” said Ryan Brill, radiologic technologist. “The material they use inside the machine has to be surrounded by a ‘shield’ of liquid helium, in order to reach a temperature where it is ‘superconducting.’ That helium needs to be replenished every six months or so and totally replaced every 2-3 years, and it is quite costly.”
After the United States addresses the helium shortage, the Bureau of Land Management plans to increase production including a new helium plant in Wyoming and increased development overseas, especially in Russia.
