Occurrence and fate of tributyl‐ and triphenyltin compounds in western mediterranean coastal enclosures

Abstract

Tributyltin (TBT) and its degradation products, mono‐ (MBT) and dibutyltin (DBT) have been determined in the dissolved and particulate phases of seawater, sediments, and biota collected in some representative open and enclosed coastal areas of the western Mediterranean Sea. The highest levels were found in sediments and seawater of dry docks and marinas, closely related with boating activity and clearly decreasing according to the distance from the point sources. Triphenyl‐ (TPhT) and diphenyltin (DPhT) were also identified for the first time in seawater and sediments collected in marinas, exhibiting concentrations similar to TBT. Concentration ratios between TBT/DBT and TPhT/DPhT in each environmental compartment as well as the field partition coefficients (Kd, K′d, and Kb) of the different tin species point out the complexity of organotin speciation, because accumulation and degradation processes occur at different rates, depending on the environmental compartment.

Ubiquitous imposex and organotin bioaccumulation in gastropods Nucella lapillus from Galicia (NW Spain):a possible effect of nearshore shipping

“…Still, some mteresting insights can be obtained from comparing our data with those pertaining to other related carnivorous gastropods, particularly if attention is paid to the fact that TPhT is more hydrophobic than TB7 ( m d therefore binds to particulate matter to a larger extent, e.g. Tolosa et al 1992). Thus, Mensink et al 1[1996) found that phenyltin residues were higher than butyltins in Dutch sediment-dwelling whelks (e.g.…”

Organotin pollution in Malta coastal zone

“…Aryltin concentrations in Malta waters are comparable to those found in seawater from marinas and drydocks on the Spanish Mediterranean coast [1]. In a more recent study, seawater from these same areas has yielded PhSn 3+ (20-40ngSnL~') as the main aryltin form [22].…”

“…There is no control over the use of TBTbased antifouling paints in Malta and, using trade statistics, we have estimated that about 3800 L are used annually on small seacraft. The shipbuilding and ship repair industry uses around 4 million L y" 1 . No correlation appears to exist between season and TBT concentration in waters adjacent to the drydocks.…”

“…Besides TBT and its dealkylated metabolites, namely, dibutyltin (DBT) and monobutyltin (MBT), there are other organotin forms which are frequently encountered in coastal marine environments. Phenyltin species, Ph n Sn (4~")+ , n= 1, 2 and 3, have been reported in seawater and sediments [1][2][3] and a major anthropogenic source for these forms is Ph 3 Sn + which is also used in antifouling marine paints and as an agricultural pesticide [5]. The biogeochemistry of tin is also influenced by the formation of methyltin forms, Me«Sn (4~")+ , n = 1-4, which are reported to be ubiquitous in seawater and in sediments, macroalgae, plants and fish [6].…”

Effects of a series of triorganotins on ATP levels in human natural killer cells

“…OT contamination has been reported in water, sediment and fish from both freshwater and marine environments in the United States, Europe and Japan (Alzieu et al, 1991;Fent and Hunn., 1991;Kannan et al, 1995a,b,c;Tolosa et al, 1992;Ueno et al, 1999;Borghi and Porte, Correspondence: Margaret M. Whalen, Department of Chemistry, Tennessee State University, 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd., Nashville,TN 37209,Email: mwhalen@tnstate.edu,2002). Environmental contamination resulting from extensive use of OTs has been of great concern due to the potential for deleterious effects on non-target organisms (Kimbrough, 1976;Kannan et al, 1997;Maguire, 2000;Nielsen and Strand, 2002).…”