Organotin Compounds: Environmental Fate and Analytics

Abstract

For more than 50 years, organotin compounds have been used in almost all sectors of industry. As a consequence, specific parts of the environment are affected by the emission of these xenobiotics. The emissions of organotin compounds into the environment from paints used in the shipbuilding industry for ship hull coating and from plant protection products are particularly significant. In 2001, the IMO introduced a global ban on the use of organotins in antifouling systems. However, despite the introduction of laws restricting the production and application of organotin compounds, these contaminants still pose a threat to the environment. Organotin compounds have a very negative effect on live organisms, therefore monitoring different parts of the environment for their presence is extremely important. Sampling and determination of organotin levels is a complex process that requires several analytical activities such as the collection, transport, and storage of samples, extraction of analytes from biological samples, derivatization, purification, and the final determination. Most techniques used for analyzing organotin compounds are based on gas chromatography, although recently some modified liquid chromatography methods and capillary electrophoresis have also been applied. In this study the literature information on the following topics is presented: toxicity, environmental fate, and analytical methods used for determining organotin compounds in environmental samples.

Keywords :

• Organotins
• organotin compounds
• gas chromatography
• biological samples

AKNOWLEDGMENTS

This work was financially supported by the Foundation for Polish Science (MISTRZ programme), as well as the Polish Committee for Scientific Research (research project # N N304 309740).