Distribution of butyltin compounds in Brazil’s southern and southeastern estuarine ecosystems: assessment of spatial scale and compartments

Abstract

Butyltin compounds (BTs), including tributyltin (TBT) and its degradation products, dibutyltin and monobutyltin, have been found in a diversity of aquatic systems and causing toxic effects in target and nontarget organisms. They enter in coastal systems through different sources (as antifouling paints, industrial effluents, etc.) where they interact with biotic and abiotic components, and their distribution is commonly determined by the morphological and hydrodynamic conditions of the coastal systems. In this study, we discuss the contamination by BTs on a spatial scale (eight estuaries with three subareas each) and in different compartments of the estuaries (sediments, suspended particulate matter (SPM), and estuarine catfish tissues (liver and gills). Lower concentrations of BTs were found in the sediments (n.d. to 338 ng g(-1)) in comparison to studies before a ban of TBT in antifouling paints was enacted, mostly indicating an old input or preservation related with sediment properties and composition. For SPM samples (n.d. to 175 ng L(-1)) as well as in fish tissues (n.d. to 1426 ng g(-1)), the presence of these compounds was frequent, especially in the fish due to their movement throughout the estuaries and the potential to assess point sources of BTs. These results indicate that BTs persist in the environment, with variation in amounts between investigated estuaries and even at locations inside the same estuary, because of ideal preservation conditions, transport to remote areas, and input from different sources.

Populations Collapses in Marine Invertebrates Due to Endocrine Disruption: A Cause for Concern?

“…Another combined monitoring approach, using imposex in gastropods populations to guide sediments sampling to the more critical areas is of easier application. Persistence of organotin pollution in conditions such as fine-grained, organic-rich, mostly anoxic coastal sediments (48, 49) has made TBT and other organotins legacy pollutants, being considered as POPs by WHO-UNEP (1). As a matter of fact, this is probably the most important reason that would explain why imposex is still being reported in European waters (50–53), even when clear instances of improvement are being reported (54).…”

A Química Ambiental no Brasil nos 40 anos da SBQ

“…141 Presentes até recentemente em tintas anti-incrustantes (de segunda geração) utilizadas em embarcações, os compostos organoestânicos têm sido bastante avaliados em amostras de águas e sedimentos, principalmente em ambientes aquáticos estuarinos, por estarem inequivocamente relacionados ao imposex, fenômeno que consiste no surgimento de caracteres sexuais masculinos em fêmeas de neogastrópodes. [142][143][144][145][146][147][148][149][150][151][152] Nos anos mais recentes tem havido um crescimento dos estudos envolvendo os contaminantes químicos emergentes, ou simplesmente contaminantes emergentes, em ambientes aquáticos, dados que estas substâncias, frequentemente presentes em águas naturais e de abastecimento público, assim como de sedimentos, entre outros, não são determinadas nos programas oficiais de monitoramento da qualidade da água. Muitas destas substâncias são suspeitas de provocar interferência no sistema endócrino de organismos intactos, incluindo os seres humanos.…”

Distribution of Butyltin Compounds in the Coastal Environment of the Bahía Blanca Estuary, Argentina

“…The TBT reaches the marine environment by leaching itself from these paints (Okoro et al 2016). Once in the environment, TBT and its degradation products (dibutyltin (DBT), monobutyltin (MBT) and, finally, inorganic tin) can be involved in different processes, such as diffusion, sorption, lixiviation, sedimentation, biodegradation and resuspension (dos Santos et al 2016). Degradation of TBT may occur by photolysis, chemical and thermal cleavage, or through the microorganisms' activity (El Hadj et al 2016).…”

“…Considering the possible incidence of BTs in the whole ecosystem, it is important to monitor these compounds in different environmental matrices, in order to assess their distribution and bioavailability (dos Santos et al 2016). In this way, the aim of this study was to analyze the levels of TBT, DBT and MBT in several samples from different environmental compartments (sediment, suspended particulate matter, water column and mussel tissues), which were seasonally collected (temporal dimension) for several sampling points (spatial dimension) in the BBE.…”