Health and environment perspective of tin nanocompounds: A safety approach

Abstract Tin compounds are used mainly in the automotive, electronics, food, health, and cosmetic industries, among others. The advent of nanotechnology has expanded its use, and there is a growing concern about its impact on human health and the environment. The existing knowledge base evidences the low toxicity of tin, even in the form of nanomaterial. Toxicity has been associated with particle size and chemical composition which may cause increased oxidative stress or DNA breaks (genotoxicity) in vitro. Human toxicity of tin mainly derives from inhalation and ingestion, and reports of intoxications are more associated with occupational diseases or poisoning. Nowadays, the use of personal protective equipment worn to minimize exposure to hazards for inorganic tin has minimized its toxic effect. No significant environmental impacts have been reported, possibly due to the low solubility, which, in turn, presents a significant challenge for the good experimental design in the determination of the ecotoxicity. However, considering the growth of products of nanotechnology containing tin, as pesticides and biocides, studies on persistence and bioaccumulation may be required, as the development of more reliable methods for ecotoxicity tests. The quality assessment of the in vivo literature showed the need for better designed and planned studies, with adherence to ARRIVE guidelines, and better quality of reporting, contributing to improve the reproducibility in this field and reduce the bias. This chapter focuses on the tin, particularly in the nano-form, due to its substantial interest in commercial use, where all the concerns surrounding their (eco)toxicological impacts in human health will be revised.