Toxicity of Bismuth and Its Compounds

Human exposure to bismuth (Bi) is limited, except for its use in medicine. The significance of occupational and environmental exposure is unknown, although Bi is increasingly used as a replacement for lead in many of its technical and chemical applications. Replacement of lead shot by Bi shot and the increasing amounts of Bi entering the environment after human use (Mueller, 1989) may draw attention to the question of the environmental safety of the metal. In medicine, Bi compounds have been prescribed for over a century. The intake of Bi has been related to nephrotoxicity and a reversible encephalopathy, the latter mainly in France. Because of its epidemiological characteristics and limited geographic distribution, 20 years after its occurrence, this encephalopathy is still an intriguing phenomenon in metal toxicology.