Where is bismuth found in the environment

The Incas also utilised bismuth and used it with copper and tin to create a bronze alloy for knives. Bismuth is a white, crystalline, brittle metal with a pinkish tinge. Bismuth is the most diamagnetic of all metals, and the thermal conductivity is lower than any metal except for mercury. Bismuth has a high electrical resistance and the highest Hall effect of any metal i.

Bismuth is stable to oxygen and water but dissolves in concentrated nitric air. All bismuth salts form insoluble compounds when placed in water. Bismuth finds its main uses in pharmaceuticals, atomic fire alarms and sprinkler systems, solders and other alloys and pigments for cosmetics, glass and ceramics. It is also used as a catalyst in rubber production.

The most important ores of bismuth are bismuthimite and bismite. Lead is now the heaviest stable element, according to Science magazine.

Though bismuth had been known as early as , it was frequently confused with lead because it was similarly a heavy metal with a low melting point, according to the Royal Society of Chemistry.

French chemist Claude Geoffroy the Younger was the first to prove that bismuth was distinct from lead in The word "bismuth" is a Latinized version of an Old German word, "weissmuth" or "white substance," possibly named after the element's white oxide, according to Chemicool.

Naturally occurring bismuth is found in small quantities throughout Earth's crust both as a pure metal and combined with other elements in various compounds. Bismuth is typically obtained as a by-product in refining lead, copper, tin, silver, and gold ores found in Bolivia, Peru, Japan, Mexico, and Canada. Compared to other metals, bismuth is the most diamagnetic; that is, it resists being magnetized and is repelled by a magnetic field, according to Chemicool.

It also has low electric conductivity and the greatest electrical resistance when placed in a magnetic field, a trait called the Hall effect. It has a very low thermal conductivity — lower than any other metal except mercury, according to Chemicool. It also has a relatively low melting point, especially when alloyed with tin and lead. Bismuth compounds generally have very low solubility but they should be handled with care, as there is only limited information on their effects and fate in the environment.

Back to chart periodic elements. Toggle navigation. Home Periodic table Elements Bismuth. About Lenntech. General Delivery Conditions. Privacy Policy. All rights reserved. Atomic number. Bismuth Bismuth is a white, crystalline, brittle metal with a pinkish tinge.

Applications Bismuth metal is used in the manufacture of low melting solders and fusible alloys as well as low toxicity bird shot and fishing sinkers.

Bismuth in the environment The most important ores of bismuth are bismuthimite and bismite. Health effects of bismuth Bismuth and its salts can cause kidney damage, although the degree of such damage is usually mild.

Routes of entry: Inhalation, skin and ingestion. Chronic effects: Inhalation: May affect the function of the liver and the kidneys. Bismuth is not considered a human carcinogen.