Tin

What is Tin?

CAS#: 007440-31-5

Tin is a natural element in the earth's crust. It is a soft, white, silvery metal that does not dissolve in water. It is present in brass, bronze, pewter, and some soldering materials. Tin metal is used to line cans for food, beverages, and aerosols.

Tin can combine with other chemicals to form compounds. Combinations with chemicals like chlorine, sulfur, or oxygen are called inorganic tin compounds (i.e., stannous chloride, stannous sulfide, stannic oxide). These are used in toothpaste, perfumes, soaps, food additives and dyes. Tin also can combine with carbon to form organotin compounds (i.e., dibutyltin, tributyltin, triphenyltin). These compounds are used to make plastics, food packages, plastic pipes, pesticides, paints, and pest repellents.

Tin metal, and inorganic and organic tin compounds can be found in the air, water, and soil near places where they are naturally present in the rocks, or where they are mined, manufactured, or used.

Related Resources for Tin

• Minimal Risk Levels (MRL)
  The MRL is an estimate of the daily human exposure to a hazardous substance that is likely to be without appreciable risk of adverse, non-cancer health effects over a specified duration of exposure. The information in this MRL serves as a screening tool to help public health professionals decide where to look more closely to evaluate possible risk of adverse health effects from human exposure.
  
• Public Health Statement
  Summary about a hazardous substance taken from Chapter One of its respective ATSDR Toxicological Profile.
  
• ToxFAQ
  Fact sheet that answers the most frequently asked questions about a contaminant and its health effects.
  
• Toxicological Profile
  Succinctly characterizes the toxicologic and adverse health effects information for a hazardous substance.