Silicon dioxide nano-particles, diameter 50 nm, containing morin (morin-SiO2) have been synthesized by the sol-gel method. They emit strong and stable room-temperature phosphorescence (SS-RTP) on filter paper as substrate, and bismuth can quench the intensity of the SS-RTP. On this basis a new morin-SiO2 solid-substrate room-temperature phosphorescence-quenching method has been established for determination of traces of bismuth. Reduction of phosphorescence intensity (DeltaI(p)) is directly proportional to the concentration of bismuth in the working range 0.16-14.4 ag spot(-1) (sample volume 0.40 muL spot(-1), corresponding to the concentration range 0.40-36.0 fg mL(-1)). The regression equation of the working curve is DeltaI(p)=14.86+5.279x[Bi3+] (ag spot(-1)) (n=6, r=0.9982). The detection limit of this method is 0.026 ag spot(-1) (corresponding to a concentration of 6.5 x 10(-17) g mL(-1)).This sensitive, reproducible and accurate method has been used for successful analysis of real samples.