Bismuth Fire Assay
Safer and greener metals testing 

Bismuth Fire Assay: Safer and greener metals testing with Bureau Veritas

Bureau Veritas is setting a new industry benchmark with its lead-free fire assay technology.

We are proud to introduce Bismuth Fire Assay as an advanced alternative to traditional lead-based fire assay. This method offers the same reliable precision in detecting and quantifying precious metals in ores—without the health and environmental risks of lead.

Bismuth Fire Assay removes lead from the testing process, improving safety and supporting cleaner waste management. It helps organisations meet sustainability goals and comply with health, safety, and environmental regulations.

This service is ideal for businesses that require accurate analysis of precious metals and want to reduce environmental and health risks associated with legacy methods.

Bureau Veritas currently offers Bismuth Fire Assay in Perth, Australia, with expansion planned for Kalgoorlie and Adelaide. A global rollout is also on the horizon.

Benefits of Bismuth Fire Assay

• Improved health and safety
• Environmentally friendly process
• Regulatory compliance
• Simplified recycling compared to lead
• Cleaner waste streams
• Comparable speed and accuracy to traditional fire assay
• Focus on sustainability and social responsibility

About the technology

Traditional fire assay is a 5,000-year-old technique used to determine the content of precious metals like gold, silver, and platinum. It relies on lead as a collector metal.

Our approach replaces lead with bismuth, one of the safest metals available, as a collector of precious metals. This reflects our commitment to reducing hazardous waste and promoting greener solutions for the mining and metals industries.

Get in touch

Contact Bureau Veritas to learn how Bismuth Fire Assay can support your operations with cleaner, safer, and equally effective precious metals analysis.