A lightweight, breathable material which has radiopaque qualities and a method for making the radiopaque material. In a preferred embodiment, a lightweight fabric, such as a cloth surgical mask liner (24) or an entire surgical mask (10), is impregnated with a lightweight radiopaque compound, such as a barium sulfate compound, to impart radiopaque qualities. Impregnation of the lightweight radiopaque compound can be performed in any number of ways, including soaking the fabric in a solution containing the lightweight radiopaque compound, using the fabric as a filter in a passing solution of the lightweight radiopaque compound, placing the fabric in a reaction chamber between reagent solutions whose interaction will form the lightweight radiopaque compound and impregnating the fabric with one reagent and then exposing it to a complementary reagent whose reaction with the first reagent will form a lightweight radiopaque compound. To enhance the efficiency of impregnation, an additive, such as a Gum Arabic or Guar Gum adhesive, can be added to the solution containing lightweight radiopaque compound or to the fabric itself. While a surgical mask is provided as one example, the principles of the invention can also be applied to a broad range of other items including surgical hoods, hospital gowns, gloves, partitions, patient drapes, coverings etc.