A global helium shortage could burst the bubble for all the businesses that rely on the gas to lift weather balloons, large blimps, and, yes, the balloons at your kid’s birthday bash that make your voice sound like a chipmunk. But the shortage is potentially deflating for a whole range of other purposes. Helium is used in deep sea diving, airbags, cryogenics, rocket fuel, MRI machines and in areas of tech that include fiber optics and semiconductors. “The shortage of helium which is present now – and which we can anticipate will increase – will affect, broadly, everybody,” says Northwestern physics professor William Halperin. Washington University chemistry professor Sophia Hayes agrees. “There are so many uses beyond party balloons,” she says. The shortages gained a lot of attention Thursday after Party City announced that it would be shutting down 45 stores this year. Party City officials maintain the closings and the shortage are unrelated issues and say they are working to secure a new helium source and a contract, which is subject to final approval, would provide its stores with helium beginning this summer and continuing for several years. Party City store closings 2019:45 locations being shuttered Helium shortage 2019:Why it's harder to throw a party and fill balloons Although there are long-term ramifications, experts say consumers may not feel the impact right away. Many companies that rely on helium also say they're okay – for now. Goodyear Tire & Rubber spokeswoman Emily Cropper said that while Goodyear uses helium as the lift gas in all of its famous blimps, “our operations are not currently affected by the helium shortage.’’ Helium is utilized for fiber optics, particularly in the telecommunications industry. And while Corning spokesman Dan Collins said the material sciences company “does not comment on the materials used in our manufacturing process,’’ Collins said it “is meeting all of its worldwide supply commitments for optical fiber and cable without disruption.’’ Airbag suppliers also painted an optimistic picture for now. ZF North America, the U.S. arm of a top German airbags manufacture, uses a different combination of gasses for inflators. “We do use helium, but it is a minor part of our component,” maintains Tony Sapienza, head of ZF TRW North America. “We have no concerns on production with regard to helium at this time.” Likewise, the world’s largest supplier of airbags, Autoliv, said it also has no concerns about the helium shortage impacting its business. “We use a very small amount of helium to check for any leaks in our inflators during the test phase,” spokesman Tom Hajkus says. Doctors' orders From the consumer perspective, you should be able to get that MRI the doctor says you need. As Hayes explains, helium shortages have been simmering for a while and hospitals, have planned in advance. But Halperin believes smaller hospitals are more vulnerable. Hayes says that the MRIs you find in a hospital rely on a closed loop system where the helium circulates, in a manner that is similar to the cooling fluid in the radiator of your car. "The helium in such machines must only occasionally be topped off,” she says. Where the shortage may have a bigger impact, Hayes believes, is on specialized machines similar to the MRIs in a hospital that are employed by pharmaceutical companies and chemistry departments for research. Instead of examining people and bodies, these machines, known as NMRs, examine the structure of all chemicals. “It is one of the most important machines for characterizing when you make something in a chemical lab," Hayes says. "In a worldwide shortage, this will become a problem someday, maybe not today.” The shortage could result in higher semiconductor costs, though it remains to be seen how or even if such costs will be passed down to the consumer, much less how large any increases might be. “Someone will pay somewhere,” Hayes says. Where helium comes from Helium is extracted from natural gas mining and from the National Helium Reserve, which is set to be shut down in 2021. It was once the source of about 30% of the world's supply. Those most affected by its closure will be cryogenic users, Halperin says. On the global stage the top suppliers are Qatar, Algeria and the U.S., with possible new sources coming from Russia, and maybe Tanzania, though Hayes says the findings are preliminary. Helium is non-renewable and at current consumption rates, it has been estimated that the supply will last another 200 years. “Some of us are urging recycling of helium,” Hayes says. “That’s hard to do and it requires a lot of engineering and is expensive.” Contributing: Kelly Tyko; Randy Essex, Detroit Free Press Follow @edbaig on Twitter; @charissejones<doc-sep>Helium is getting hard to find these days, and it’s ruining parties for people of all ages. No helium, of course, means no helium balloons, and what's a celebration without balloons? Among moms who are trying to plan graduation parties and end of the year school events, the worldwide helium shortage has been a hot topic, especially on parent blogs and at PTA meetings. "It’s definitely a bad thing," said Laurie Sigelko, who has been struggling to find helium-filled balloons for weeks. "As simple as balloons are, they are an absolute staple for parties of all different kinds, from little children’s parties to adult anniversary parties.” Balloons make dull rooms come alive, said the 51-year-old Rochester Hills mother. They are colorful, festive, and — in comparison to flowers, cheap. And there's another party benefit: When the gas is inhaled, you sound like a "Wizard of Oz" Munchkin. Still, scientists add, a helium shortage — which has been years in the making — is no laughing matter. Read more: Even in a Michigan outdoor paradise, ticks are a growing public health threat Michigan teen made viral Buzzfeed quizzes for free. Now she's cashing in "It is a serious problem," said Roman Dembinski, an organic chemistry professor at Oakland University. "A shortage and disruption would quench our magnets, so we would be without instruments." In fact, as helium prices surge to new highs, some researchers and companies in the medical industry, which uses the gas as a coolant in magnetic resonance imaging and nuclear magnetic resonance, are suggesting a ban on party balloons. Without helium, doctors will not be able to give patients noninvasive, life-saving MRI scans that detect damage to organs and tissues. Researchers at Oakland University wouldn't be able to use the NMR spectroscope. "If the superconductive magnets warm up because of a shortage of helium, they will quench — the process that the magnets are no longer superconducting," Dembinski said. "To keep the instruments running, there must be a continuous supply of helium." Balloons just got real An element of the periodic table, helium is what chemists call an inert gas. Helium has an atomic number of 2. It's nontoxic, nonflammable, and is used in several industries because it is the element with the lowest boiling point, about minus 452 degrees. But, now that the gas is in short supply and the price of it has shot up, it’s not entirely clear what will happen. No helium means there would be no laboratory particle accelerators — sometimes called atom smashers — that use electromagnetic fields to send changed particles at high speeds for physics research. Helium also is used in space flight to pressurize the fuel tanks of liquid-fueled rockets, in satellite instruments, in aerospace for supersonic wind tunnels and even combined with oxygen to create nitrogen-free atmospheres for deep sea divers. Without helium, there would be no weather balloons and no Goodyear Blimps, the oblong blue and silver airships that float over sports stadiums on game day. A big reason for the shortage is that about 75% of all the helium comes from just three places: Ras Laffan Industrial City in Qatar, ExxonMobil in Wyoming and the National Helium Reserve in Texas, according to gas-trade publication Gasworld.com. In Texas, the reserves are being depleted, while at the same time overall demand for the gas has been growing. The federal government started storing helium during World War I at the Cliffside Storage Facility near Amarillo, Texas, for national defense. Back then, the gas was used for airships. Remember the giant German Zeppelins? The reason the Germans filled their dirigibles with flammable hydrogen instead of nonflammable helium was because the U.S., which had much of the world's helium, limited its export. Military demands for helium continued during World War II, and during the Cold War, as the gas became important for aerospace, the space race with the Soviets and other scientific applications. But by the 1990s, the federal government decided that it didn't need as much helium on hand, likely because airships and spacecraft were seen as less important to national security, and began drawing down the Texas gas reserves. Now, private industry, including Canadian company American Helium, and other countries, such as Qatar, are trying to find new sources of helium and build new plants to process the gas. And even though helium comes out of the ground, it is mixed in with natural gas at varying concentrations. The higher the concentration of helium the more efficient it is to remove, so not every natural gas deposit is a candidate for helium extraction. Willing to pay for it In the meantime, party planning parents are going to great lengths to find stores selling helium. They are driving tomultiple places where helium balloons were once plentiful — party stores, grocery stores and dollar stores — with no luck. Party City, an East Hanover, New Jersey-based retail chain with more than 800 outlets, has even published warning to customers that balloon orders might be affected. Under the heading "Global Helium Shortage," it cautioned that "helium supply has always been a little up in the air (pun intended)." The company proposes alternatives such as balloon arches and walls that don't need helium, just tape, and it pledges to help customers who can't get helium balloons still "throw an unforgettable party." But, that response was no consolation to one mom who posted her failed attempt to find balloons on Facebook. She ended her saga with a curse and a question: “WTF. Now where do I go for fun balloons?” And that kind of post makes Party City executives anxious. In late February, CEO James Harrison blamed the national retailer's lower than expected fourth-quarter results on "helium supply pressures" and "higher helium costs." Still, some parents, when they find a store with helium, are willing to pay more. Earlier this year, when Aimee Symington tried to plan with other moms a banquet for her daughter Gracie's dance club, she had trouble finding a place that would guarantee her helium balloons. Gracie, and Sigelko's daughter, Hannah, are co-captains of the JV dance team. The moms needed 40 to 50 blue and gold balloons — Stoney Creek High School's colors — to make table centerpieces for the hall the group was renting at Cherry Creek Golf Club. They called at least three party stores. None could help. "You can have a party without balloons," said Symington, 43, of Rochester, acknowledging that there are worse things than parties without balloons. "But it's just not the same." Initially, they budgeted $50, about $1 a balloon. The bill: $139.64. The Sterling Heights shop Symington and Sigelko ended up going to, Party Paradise, said it's able to get helium for balloons, although it knows that many other retailers aren't. Kevin Brikho, who co-owns the store with his brother Sam, said the price of helium has gone up about 30% since January. As a result, he said, they have had to pass the costs on to their customers. "Back in 2004, a balloon was like 33 cents," he said. "Now, it's $1.99." Scientists are divided on whether the global supply of helium, a nonrenewable resource, will run out anytime soon. But, helium price increases likely will lead more and more helium balloon buyers to just forgo them. If there aren't helium-filled balloons at your party, don't let it get you too down. "It would be a little sad," Symington said, noting the loss. "But, the world will go on." Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com. Helium facts What is it? Helium is odorless, colorless and tasteless gas. Where does it come from? It occurs with other gasses in the ground. The most economical source is natural gas. In the United States, it is found in Texas, Kansas, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. How is helium produced? When a gas pocket containing recoverable amounts of helium is found, a well is drilled to release it. The gas travels by pipeline to a processing plant where the helium is separated out from the other gasses. Source: U.S. Department of Interior<doc-sep>
DETROIT – Helium is getting hard to find these days, and it’s ruining parties for people of all ages. No helium, of course, means no helium balloons, and what's a celebration without balloons? With moms trying to plan graduation parties and end of the school year events, the worldwide helium shortage has been a hot topic, especially on parent blogs and at PTA meetings. "It’s definitely a bad thing," said Laurie Sigelko, who has been struggling to find helium-filled balloons for weeks. "As simple as balloons are, they are an absolute staple for parties of all different kinds, from little children’s parties to adult anniversary parties.” Balloons make dull rooms come alive, said Sigelko, 51, of Rochester Hills, Michigan. They are colorful, festive and, in comparison to flowers, cheap. And there's another party benefit: When the gas is inhaled, you sound like a "Wizard of Oz" Munchkin. Party City store closings 2019:Retailer shuttering 45 stores amid a global helium shortage Big paycheck:Walmart managers take home an average of $175,000 a year. How much do their workers make? No laughing matter Still, scientists add, a helium shortage – which has been years in the making – is no laughing matter. "It is a serious problem," said Roman Dembinski, an organic chemistry professor at Oakland University. "A shortage and disruption would quench our magnets, so we would be without instruments." As helium prices surge to new highs, some researchers and companies in the medical industry, which uses the gas as a coolant in magnetic resonance imaging and nuclear magnetic resonance, are suggesting a ban on party balloons. Without helium, doctors will not be able to give patients noninvasive, life-saving MRI scans that detect damage to organs and tissues. An element of the periodic table, helium is what chemists call an inert gas. It's nontoxic, nonflammable, and is used in several industries because it is the element with the lowest boiling point, about minus 452 degrees. But now that the gas is in short supply and the price has shot up, it’s not entirely clear what will happen. Helium also is used in space flight to pressurize the fuel tanks of liquid-fueled rockets, in satellite instruments, in aerospace for supersonic wind tunnels and even combined with oxygen to create nitrogen-free atmospheres for deep sea divers. A big reason for the shortage is that about 75% of all the helium comes from just three places: Ras Laffan Industrial City in Qatar, ExxonMobil in Wyoming and the National Helium Reserve in Texas, according to gas-trade publication Gasworld.com. In Texas, the reserves are being depleted, while at the same time overall demand for the gas has been growing. Willing to pay for it Party planning parents are going to great lengths to find stores selling helium. They are driving to multiple places where helium balloons were once plentiful – party stores, grocery stores and dollar stores – with no luck. New Jersey-based Party City has published a warning to customers that balloon orders might be affected. Under the heading "Global Helium Shortage," Party City cautioned that "helium supply has always been a little up in the air (pun intended)." The company proposes alternatives such as balloon arches and walls that don't need helium, just tape, and it pledges to help customers who can't get helium balloons still "throw an unforgettable party." On Thursday, Party City announced it would close 45 of its 870 stores. Some parents, when they find a store with helium, are willing to pay more. Earlier this year, when Aimee Symington tried to plan with other moms a banquet for her daughter Gracie's dance club, she had trouble finding a place that would guarantee helium balloons. Initially, they budgeted $50, about $1 a balloon. The bill: $139.64. "You can have a party without balloons," said Symington, 43, of Rochester, acknowledging that there are worse things than parties without balloons. "But it's just not the same." Kevin Brikho, who co-owns Party Paradise in Sterling Heights, Michigan with his brother Sam, said the price of helium has gone up about 30% since January. He said they have had to pass the costs on to their customers. "Back in 2004, a balloon was like 33 cents," he said. "Now, it's $1.99." Follow Frank Witsil on Twitter: @fwitsil