Envirotrace of Organotin Compounds in Eastern Cape Harbour Waters

Abstract

Increasing public awareness of toxic moieties in our environment has put pressure on the regulatory agencies and the teaching institutions to improve testing methods so that these harmful agents can be identified and quantified at lower levels. n-Butyltin (MBT), di-n-butyltin (DBT) and tri-n- butyltin (TBT) were determined in water and sediment samples of marine systems in the two major harbors located at East London and Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape Province. The organotin compounds were determined by optimized aqueous phase ethylation with sodium tetraethylborate method. The extracts were derivatized and the ethylated species were analyzed by gas chromatography. The instrument was fitted with a sensitive and selective flame photometric detector for Sn. The optimized method was verified by performing spiking experiments in natural water and seawater matrices and obtained good recoveries and reproducibility.