The hazards of bismuth in
bismuth powder:
Bismuth is mainly used in the manufacture of fusible alloys, with a melting point range of 47-262°C. Commonly used are alloys composed of bismuth and lead, tin, antimony, indium and other metals. They are used in fire-fighting devices, automatic sprinklers, and boiler fortresses. In the event of a fire, the pistons of some water pipes "automatically" melted and sprayed water. In the fire protection and electrical industry, it is used as automatic fire extinguishing system and electrical fuse, solder. Bismuth alloy has the property of not shrinking when solidified, and is used for casting printed lead characters and high-precision casting molds. Bismuth oxycarbonate and bismuth oxynitrate are used for skin lesions and gastroenteritis. It is used to make low-melting alloys, it is important in fire protection and electrical devices, and it is used to detect Mn in analytical chemistry. Bismuth can be used to make low-melting point alloys for automatic closing devices or movable type alloys.
Most compounds, especially basic salts, are poorly absorbed in the digestive tract. Insoluble in water, only slightly soluble in tissue fluid. Not absorbed through intact skin and mucous membranes. Bismuth is absorbed and distributed throughout the body. Most of the bismuth stored in the body is excreted in the urine within weeks to months.
The metabolism of bismuth in the body is similar to that of lead. During acidosis, tissues release bismuth deposits. Bismuth and lead can interact. In the body, bismuth compounds can form bismuth sulfide, which is not easily soluble in water and dilute acid, and precipitate in tissues or embolize in capillaries, causing local ulcers and even necrosis. Under the action of intestinal bacteria, bismuth nitrate can be reduced to bismuth nitrite, which can cause methemoglobinemia after absorption. In severe chronic poisoning, because bismuth mostly exists in the kidney, severe kidney disease may occur, among which the damage to renal tubular epithelial cells is serious, and the liver may also be involved. "Bismuth lines" may appear in patients with repeated oral or chronic poisoning through other routes.
