Dear Ryan and all,
The price (4 $/pound, see
http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/metal_prices/) and world production
of Bi(smuth) is low, because nobody needs it yet (see usgs data). As Mrs
Turbini mentioned, reserves are much higher and even stocks are quite high.
Mines have closed due to low demand (see usgs data).
As far as I know, there are no detailed studies on future trend; IZM did
some very basic work expecting an strong increase of Bi demand, but data
basis for worldwide solder production is poor and trend analysis must be
worked out more (if you have data, please let me know).
By the way: Below is some Bi data with souces. Toxic hazard assesment of Bi
compared to Pb is a bit complicated (as for every substance...) because
acute lethal toxicity is not the main issue for lead. Because Bi is not used
widely, there are no epidemiologic data (esp. low-level/long-term).
Especially be carefull when picking on the LDL (least known letal doses) and
the LD in general. You can not compare that to lead, because the effects are
different !!! Maybe you could choose acetate compound for comparison!? (In
opposite of a remark on this forum, waste is very often rinsed in acetic
acid: In every landfill)
Best regards,
Karl Heinz Zuber, IZM
---
Bi:
"A trimetallic alloy comprising 16.5% tin, 44.5% bismuth, and 39% tungsten
has
also been tested for toxicity in ducks. Ringelman et al. (5) observed that
mallard ducks
which had ingested the equivalent of five No. 4 tin-bismuth-tungsten shot
did not exhibit
any sign of toxicosis during a 32-day test period. This conclusion was based
upon a
battery of blood metabolite and hematological tests, histopathological
examination,
behavioural observations and food consumption data. In this study, the
levels of tin in the
liver and kidney were below the level of detection (<6 ppm)."
(5) Ringelman, J.K., Miller, M.W. and Andelt, W.F. 1993. Effects of ingested
tungsten-bismuth shot on captive mallards. J. Wildl. Manage. 57: 725-732.
from "APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF TIN SHOT AS NON-TOXIC
FOR THE HUNTING OF MIGRATORY BIRDS", ITRI Study co-authored by Ms. Kay
Nimmo, Date unknown
(http://www.itri.co.uk/downloads/Tin_shot_approval_application.pdf)
---
LD50(oral,rat) 22g/kg
LD50(oral,rabbit) 484 mg/kg
LDL(human) 221 mg/kg (exposition unclear)
from Ernest Merian (Ed.): Metals and their Compounds in the Environment. VCH
Weinheim, Germany, 1991
----------
Karl Heinz Zuber
Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration
Department Environmental Engineering
Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, Building 17, 5. Floor, R. 559
D-13355 Berlin
Tel: +49 (30) 46403-138
Fax: +49 (30) 46403-131
Email: [log in to unmask]
internet: http://www.izm.fraunhofer.de
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