SPECIATION OF ORGANOTIN IN ENVIRONMENTAL SEDIMENT SAMPLES

An optimized sample preparation procedure for organotin speciation in sediment samples has been applied to the analysis of sediments collect ed in the environment. The method is based on tropolone complexation o f the ionic organotins, followed by extraction into a hexane-ethylacet ate mixture and derivatization by NaBEt4. The method was applied to th e determination of organotin in various harbour, shipyard and dry-dock sediments in Belgium. Butyltin compounds were detected in all samples analyzed, often at high mg kg(-1) levels. A limited number of samples showed the presence of phenyltin compounds. Further, the method was a dapted to the analysis of river sediments sampled from the vicinity of shipyards. Butyltin concentrations were detected at the mu g kg(-1) l evel in the majority of samples. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All ri ghts reserved.