Exposure to tin results mostly from eating food and breathing air that contains tin. Breathing or swallowing large amounts of some compounds that contain tin may cause stomachaches, anemia, and liver and kidney problems. Tin has been found in at least 202 of 1,416 National Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency. Tin is a natural element in the earth's crust. It is a soft, white, silvery metal that doesn't dissolve in water.
Tin is used to make cans.
It is present in brass, bronze, pewter, and some soldering materials. Tin can be combined with other chemicals to form compounds. When combined with chemicals like chlorine, sulfur, or oxygen, it is called an inorganic tin compound. These are used in toothpaste, perfumes, soaps, coloring agents, and dyes. When tin is combined with materials that contain carbon, it is called an organotin compound and is used to make plastics, food packages, plastic pipes, pesticides, paints, and pest repellents.