Manufacturing and industrial facilities are often
guilty of releasing toxic metals like tin into the environment. This not only
affects workers, but people who live in the vicinity too (and really, all of
us). High concentrations of tin are usually found in air and soil samples in
and around areas where hazardous waste is present. This can present groundwater
contamination concerns.
Food containers that contain tin usually have a very
fine layer of lacquer applied to prevent the tin from leeching into your food
or drink.
Unfortunately, acidic foods may compromise that protective film. If
you eat seafood, be mindful of its origin as tin has been found in seafood
caught off certain coastal waters. Household products like toothpaste and soap
may have tin compounds added too.
Exposure to tin is often a by-product of modern
society. Taiwan, for example, has been changing from an agricultural society to
an industrial society over the past 40 years. Due to this industrial
progression, incidence of occupational neurotoxic disease has increased. Most
neurotoxic diseases stem from exposure to various toxic metals, including tin,
and the nervous system is especially vulnerable.
The concerns
for health safety
Tin is a naturally occurring metal of a familiar silver
colour. Tin is resistant to corrosion and often used as a coating for other
metals such as steel. The most common example is the use of tin to line the
insides of beverage cans and food containers.Tin
has other metallurgic application- when it is alloyed with copper, bronze is
the result. If you have ever seen pewter figurines or collectibles, know that
they can contain up to 90% tin. Tin is a component of solder- a regular tool
for plumbing applications and electrical circuits. If you check your toothpaste
label you are likely to notice the ingredient “stannous fluoride” which is a
tin compound. Despite of this frequency of exposure, concerns have been raised
about the safety of tin and research has shown that tin can negatively impact
human health.
The negative effect of
tin exposure on health
1.Tumour formations have been observed in the lungs of rats
that inhaled dust containing tin.
2.The University of Medical Sciences in Iran investigated in
vitro effects of several metals, including tin, on sperm creatine kinase.
Reduced sperm metabolism was observed which is believed to be a cause of
infertility in men.
3.Exposure to arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, and tin has been
shown to affect the haematological (blood) system.
4.Tin dust can irritate the skin and delicate tissue,
particularly the eyes and respiratory system.
5.Two studies out of Japan confirmed adverse effects from tin
exposure to the lungs, particularly occupational lung disease.
6.In a study by the Department of Biotechnology and Molecular
Biology at Opole University, tin was found to be extremely toxic to human
embryonic kidney cells.
7.The nervous system is a target for a number of metals:
Aluminium, arsenic, lead, and mercury are known to be incredibly neurotoxic.
Lead and tin are thought to affect energy metabolism and can stall brain
function by interfering with neurotransmitters.
How to reduce tin
exposure
The prevalence of tin and tin compounds in industry
makes it difficult to completely avoid exposure but there are a few measures
you can take. With regards to diet, eat less canned food and don’t eat seafood
caught from areas known to be contaminated with tin or other toxic metals. If
your occupation includes safety hazards like toxic metal exposure, your risks
levels are especially high.
Tests are available to determine the presence of tin
compounds in the body but the tests do not indicate where or when exposure
happened. If you are concerned about the effect of toxic metals in your body,
you should perform a ‘chemical
and toxic metal cleanse’ test.
