Gastrografin is already being used as a viable alternative to barium in radiological studies as contrast for imaging the Gastro-Intestinal (GI) tract, especially in patients where bowel perforation may be imminent (barium spills into the abdominal cavity as a result, causing barium peritonitis; while rare, it is an incredibly deadly complication), in conditions such as intestinal obstruction, for example. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatrizoic_acid Given that I am but a medical student, this is fairly well known in the medical world. Which makes this an odd question to ask...