Butyltin compounds and their relation with organic matter in marine sediments from San Vicente Bay—Chile

Abstract

Tributyltin and its degradation products, mono-and dibutyltin have been determined in sediments collected in some representative sites in San Vicente Bay, Chile. The organic matter contents of sediments and water collected simultaneously from the same sampling sites were also determined. High levels of total organic carbon were found in sediments, especially in those from the northern part of the bay (1.80-8.87%). Good correlations were found between total organic carbon and the oxidizable and refractory carbon fractions. Among the butyltin species determined, TBT presented the highest levels, ranging from 14 to 1,560 ng Sn g(-1) dry weight. Concentration ratios of TBT to DBT ranged between 1.33 and 3.10, showing a high degree of contamination in sediments of this Chilean bay. All data obtained were analysed by the chemometric method of principal components analysis. A strong correlation was found between TBT and DBT concentrations in sediments, the different organic matter contents in sediments and water. In marine organisms only TBT was detected, containing the filterer organism Semele solida higher level than Perumytilus purpuratus and Pyura chilensis (220, 150 and 120 ng Sn g(-1) dry weight, respectively). For the alga Rodoficea iridae the TBT concentration was 60 ng Sn g(-1) dw. Comparatively, these values are higher than those reported for the same kind of marine organisms worldwide. The different samples from San Vicente Bay were found to be contaminated by TBT. This contamination can be attributed to the different anthropogenic activities taking place in the bay.

Organotin contamination in South American coastal areas

“…BTs were analyzed in six sites inside the Gulf of Guayaquil (Ecuador; Castro et al 2011) and seven sites in San Vicente Bay (central Chile; Pinochet et al 2009). In Ecuador, the values ranged from 12.7 to 99.5, 1.8 to 58.4, and 43.9 to 339.9 ng Sn g −1 dw, whereas in Chile, from 14 to 1,560, <20 to 1,170, and <27 to 470 ng Sn g −1 dw for TBT, DBT, and MBT, respectively.…”

Venezuelan Caribbean Sea under the threat of TBT

“…However, this decrease in imposex and TBT levels might not be the case for every coastal area as high TBT and imposex levels have recently been detected in several South American countries, such as Peru (Castro and Fillmann, 2012), Ecuador (Castro et al, 2012a), Brazil (Azevedo et al, 2012;Borges et al, 2013), and Chile (Pinochet et al, 2009). These data pointed out that TBT-based antifouling paints are still being used in the region, where evidences of production and retailer of TBT oxide and chloride were recently found (Castro et al, 2012b).…”

Evaluation of the use of Olivella minuta (Gastropoda, Olividae) and Hastula cinerea (Gastropoda, Terebridae) as TBT sentinels for sandy coastal habitats

“…1a) where a recent study detected TBT concentrations of up to 105 ng Sn g −1 in surface sediments. The very sheltered conditions on Pernambuco Beach in the inner part of Araçá Bay, combined with the higher proportion of silt and organic matter, probably also led to a higher adsorption and longer residence time of TBT in the sediments than on Barequeçaba (Langston and Pope 1995;Pinochet et al 2009;Sant'Anna et al 2014). The lower imposex levels on Barequeçaba beach, located farther (ca.…”