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Abstract
The distribution of tributyltin (TBT) in marine sediments from 16 areas of the Adriatic, Tyrrhenian, Ionian and Ligurian Seas was investigated, to obtain an extensive description of TBT residues along the whole Italian coast. The selected sites are located in three different types of marine areas: near important harbours, near river mouths and in coastal areas with moderate anthropogenic impact. The highest concentrations were measured in the harbour areas of the Gulfs of Naples and Taranto (17.81 and 21.08 ng Sn g−1 d.w., respectively). The lowest values were observed in coastal areas of the S. Eufemia and Policastro Gulfs (7.23 and 7.41 ng Sn g−1 dry weight (d.w.) respectively). On the whole, the sampled sediments may be considered as lightly contaminated, according to recent international classification. The statistical analysis suggests a significant combined effect of type of coastal area and marine basin on the TBT values, while the grain size does not seem to have analogous importance in the distribution of such a compound.