Speciation of butyltin compounds in marine sediments with headspace solid phase microextraction and gas chromatography – mass spectrometry

A method for the determination of organotin compounds (monobutyl = MBT, dibutyl = DBT, and tributyltin = TBT) in marine sediments by headspace Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) has been developed. The analytical procedure involved 1) extraction of TBT, DBT and MBT from sediments with HCl and methanol mixture, 2) in situ derivatization with sodium tetraethylborate and 3) headspace SPME extraction using a fiber coated with poly(dimethylsiloxane). The derivatized organotin compounds were desorbed into the splitless injector and simultaneously analyzed by gas chromatography – mass spectrometry. The analytical method was optimized with respect to derivatization reaction and extraction conditions. The detection limits obtained for MBT, DBT and TBT ranged from 730 to 969 pg/g as Sn dry weight. Linear calibration curves were obtained for all analytes in the range of 30–1000 ng/L as Sn. Analysis of a standard reference sediment (CRM 462) demonstrates the suitability of this method for the determination of butyltin compounds in marine sediments. The application to the determination of TBT, DBT and MBT in a coastal marine sediment is shown.     

Speciation of butyltin compounds in marine sediments with headspace solid phase microextraction and gas chromatography mass spectrometry

A method for the determination of organotin compounds (monobutyl = MBT, dibutyl = DBT, and tributyltin = TBT) in marine sediments by headspace Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) has been developed. The analytical procedure involved 1) extraction of TBT, DBT and MBT from sediments with HCl and methanol mixture, 2) in situ derivatization with sodium tetraethylborate and 3) headspace SPME extraction using a fiber coated with poly(dimethylsiloxane). The derivatized organotin compounds were desorbed into the splitless injector and simultaneously analyzed by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry. The analytical method was optimized with respect to derivatization reaction and extraction conditions. The detection limits obtained for MBT, DBT and TBT ranged from 730 to 969 pg/g as Sn dry weight. Linear calibration curves were obtained for all analytes in the range of 30-1000 ng/L as Sn. Analysis of a standard reference sediment (CRM 462) demonstrates the suitability of this method for the determination of butyltin compounds in marine sediments. The application to the determination of TBT, DBT and MBT in a coastal marine sediment is shown.     

Isotope dilution analysis as a definitive tool for the speciation of organotin compounds

Different spike solutions available for the determination of butyltin compounds by isotope dilution analysis are described and applied for the determination of butyltin compounds in PACS-2 certified reference material. Additionally, those spike solutions were evaluated during the course of an interlaboratory exercise organised by the National Research Council of Canada and the Laboratory of the Government Chemist (UK) in order to quantify tributyltin in a pilot sediment. The aim of this project was to evaluate the capabilities of isotope dilution mass spectrometry to reduce the uncertainty in the certification of Reference Materials for the speciation of organotin compounds. All participants were supplied with a 17Sn-enriched TBT solution from the Laboratory of the Government Chemist (UK). In our case, we performed the analysis of the pilot sediment also using a 119Sn enriched spike (mixed mono-, di- and tributyltin) and a 118Sn-119Sn double spike. The use of these additional spike solutions not only allowed the determination of monobutyltin and dibutyltin in the pilot sediment but also the evaluation and correction of possible extraction-derived rearrangement reactions. An excellent agreement amongst our results and between the participants was obtained with a precision of 8.4% RSD at a level of ca. 80 ng TBT g(-1) (as Sn).     

Determination of butyltin species in sewage and sludge by gas chromatography-atomic absorption spectrometry.

A method for the extraction and determination of butyltin compounds in sewage and sludge is reported. Sewage and sludge samples are acidified and shaken for 2 h. The various butyltin species are extracted quantitatively by tropolone (cycloheptatrienone) in toluene, followed by ethylation to their tetraalkyl-substituted forms, BuSnEt3, Bu2SnEt2, Bu3SnEt and Et4Sn, all of which can be separated and determined by a gas chromatographic-atomic absorption spectrometric technique. The non-pesticidal octyltin species and acid-leachable SnIV species can also be determined by this method. Detection limits expressed as Sn are 40 ng dm-3 and 2 ng g-1 dry mass for sewage and sludge, respectively. Analyses of some samples from Canadian treatment plants are given.     

Determination of butyltin compounds in sediments using an improved aqueous ethylation method

We have determined tributyltin and dibutyltin species in various environmental sediment samples (marine, harbour and river sediment) using the in situ aqueous ethylation-gas chromatography-atomic absorption spectrometry method subsequent to extraction by methanol containing O.5M HCl. The present technique provides a significantly lower detection limit than previous methods, so that tributyltin can for the first time be measured in some of the samples. Thus, the method described is well suited for the determination of tributyltin and dibutyltin compounds in sediments with low levels of butyltin species (e.g., Main River, 1.7 ng of tributyltin as Sn/g dry sediment).     

A simplified procedure for the determination of butyltin species in water

A method is described for the analysis of solutions containing inorganic tin and butyltin compounds. It can be used to determine total tin at a concentration of 20 ng dm^?3 using a 5 dm³ sample. The method is based on solvent extraction with dichloromethane containing tropolone and determination of the tin as inorganic tin by atomic absorption spectroscopy using electrothermal atomization. The extracted butyltin compounds can be separated by paper chromatography and the tin content of the individual spot determined as above. Observations on the stability of butyltin compounds in water at the ～2 mg dm^?3 (Sn) are included.     

Determination of Trace Butyltin Compounds in Sea Water by Gas Chromatography-Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

A gas chromatography-atomic absorption spectrometric (GC-AAS) method has been developed for the determination of trace butyltin compounds in sea water. Aqueous butyltin compounds were reduced to the volatile hydride forms by NaBH₄ and were extracted with dichloromethane simultaneously. The dichloromethane extract was concentrated under reduced pressure, followed by direct injection into the GC-AAS system for analysis. The butyltin species were separated with a 2-m glass column packed with 2% OV-101 on Chromosorb G HP (100-120 mesh). Following GC separation, each species was transferred into an electrothermally heated (800 °C) quartz furnace for atomization. The tin atoms produced from individual butyltin compound were detected at 224.6 nm by an atomic absorption spectrometer. With a sea water sample (1 L), the detection limits (3σ) for monobutyltin, dibutyltin and tributyltin were approximately 20, 20 and 70 ng Sn L^?1, respectively. The method has been applied to the analysis of trace butyltin compounds in the sea water of Keelung Harbor.     

Simultaneous determination of butyltin and phenyltin species in sediments using ultrasound-assisted leaching

A fast and simple procedure is presented for the simultaneous leaching of butyl (mono, di and tributyl) and phenyl organotin species from sediment samples. Leached compounds are further ethylated with sodium tetraethylborate in aqueous medium, and analyzed by gas chromatography. After testing the stability of triphenyltin under different extraction conditions, ultrasound-assisted leaching at room temperature in the presence of acetic acid was been proposed as an extraction procedure compatible with the simultaneous determination of phenyl- and butyltin compounds in sediments. Recoveries between 70 and 90% were obtained for phenyl species in spiked samples prepared in the laboratory. Results for butyltin species were validated by use of the reference material PACS-2. Quantification limits, using GC-MIP-AES as measurement technique, were approximately 5-10 ng g(-1). Precision in the consecutive analysis of three sediment samples varied between 3 and 10%.     

Species-specific isotope dilution analysis of mono-, di,and tri-butyltin compounds in sediment using gas chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry with synthesized 118Sn-enriched butyltins

A species-specific isotope dilution (ID) method is described for the determination of mono-, di, and tri-butyltin compounds in sediment by gas chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (GC-ICP-MS), where the mixture of 118Sn-enriched butyltin compounds synthesized in our laboratory was used as a spike. A correction method for the mass bias, a quantitative extraction of the butyltins from sediment, and an assay for the concentration of the standard solution for the reverse ID procedure were investigated to achieve a reliable ID analysis. The spike solution was added with tri-propyltin (TPrT), and the butyltins were extracted by mechanical shaking into acetic acid-tropolone-toluene. The extracted butyltins were ethylated with sodium tetraethylborate and measured by GC-ICP-MS. The mass bias correction factor for the butyltins was calculated with the measured area ratio of 120Sn/118Sn of TPrT in each chromatographic run, and the correction was carried out. The mass bias was well corrected with this in-run correction (the standard uncertainties of the corrected 120Sn/118Sn for the butyltins were in the range 0.03-0.45%, typically 0.25%, with triplicate measurement corresponding to 0.02-0.37% mass bias). The extraction efficiency of mono-butyltin (MBT) from sediment was improved by using tropolone-toluene as the solvent. Well-defined standard solutions for the reverse-ID procedure could be obtained by an assay for the purities of the natural abundance butyltin chloride reagents used for preparing the standard solutions. Overall uncertainties associated with the present method were estimated, where the sediment certified reference materials, PACS-2 and BCR 646, were analyzed. The uncertainty arising from the extraction was the main contributor to the overall uncertainties for MBT and di-butyltin (DBT) determinations, while with the case of tri-butyltin (TBT) determination the uncertainties arising from the purity of TBT chloride reagent used for preparing the standard solution was a large contributor to the overall uncertainties although the uncertainty arising from the extraction was also a main contributor. The analytical results of MBT, DBT, and TBT in both reference materials, except for MBT results in PACS-2, were in good agreement with the certified values in each. The result of MBT in PACS-2 (0.677 +/- 0.049 microg g(-1) as tin, mean +/- expanded uncertainty) was significantly higher than the certified value (0.45 +/- 0.05 microg g(-1)), but closely matched with the lately reported values (Rajendran, Tao, Nakazato and Miyazaki, Analyst, 2000, 125, 1757: 0.62 +/- 0.02 microg g(-1); Chiron, Roy, Cottier and Jeannot, J. Chromatogr. A, 2000, 879, 137: 0.634 +/- 0.082 microg g(-1); Alonso, Encinar, Gonzalez and Sanz-Medal, Anal. Bioanal. Chem., 2002, 373, 432: 0.64 +/- 0.04 microg g(-1). The present method is concluded to be reliable for the determination of MBT, DBT, and TBT in sediment.     

Interpretation of butyltin mass spectra using isotope pattern reconstruction for the accurate measurement of isotope ratios from molecular clusters

The fragmentation patterns of butyltin compounds (mono-, di-, and tributyltin) in an electron impact ion source were studied using an isotope pattern reconstruction algorithm with emphasis on isotope ratio measurements from molecular clusters. For this purpose, standards of natural tin isotope abundance and a (119)Sn-enriched mixture of the three compounds were both ethylated and propylated using sodium tetraalkylborates. The corresponding mass spectra of the various tetraalkyltin compounds prepared were obtained by GC/MS after their extraction with hexane.The results showed that pure interference-free molecular clusters were obtained only for certain R(3)Sn(+) ions where no isobaric overlap with R(2)SnH(+) ions occurred (e.g. BuEt(2)Sn(+) overlaps with Bu(2)SnH(+)). These ions are ideal candidates for accurate Sn isotope ratio measurements, while isotope pattern perturbing interferences are observed for other molecular fragments down to Sn(.)(+). Isotope pattern reconstruction algorithm thus can be used as an analytical tool to ensure the absence of molecular interferences--a requirement for accurate isotope ratio measurements from molecular clusters. The relevance of these studies for the determination of butyltin compounds in environmental samples by isotope dilution GC/MS is also discussed.     

微波萃取高效液相色谱-冷原子荧光光谱法测定沉积物中甲基汞和无机汞

建立了微波萃取高效液相色谱-冷原子荧光光谱法(MAE-HPLC-CVAFS)测定沉积物中甲基汞(MeHg+)和无机汞(Hg2+)的方法。以0.1%(V/V)2-巯基乙醇为萃取剂,用于沉积物样品中汞形态的萃取,在80℃下萃取8 min,萃取液直接注入HPLC-CVAFS系统分析。在优化条件下,MeHg+和Hg2+的检出限分别为0.58和0.48 ng/g;加标回收率分别为96.2%和95.8%;RSD(n=6)分别为5.7%和4.1%。对标准参考物质(IAEA-405和ERM-CC580)的分析结果与推荐值一致。本方法简单、快速、准确、检出限低,抗干扰能力强,具有很好的实用性和推广价值。     

Butyltin compounds in vinegar collected in Beijing: Species distribution and source investigation

Forty-eight vinegar samples including white vinegar,rice vinegar and mature vinegar were collected from several markets in Beijing.Butyltin compounds were determined by headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography and flame photometric detector after in situ ethylation with sodium tetraethylborate.Butyltin species were detected in sixteen vinegar samples and ranged from 0.012 to 14.10 μg Sn L 1.The detection rate of white vinegar is higher than that of rice vinegar and mature vinegar.Vinegar samples with relatively high butyltin concentration(>1.5 μg Sn L 1) were those stored in plastic bags,indicating that the plastic bag was one of the possible sources of butyltin contamination.This was further confirmed by the leaching experiments of three selected plastic bags,and monobutyltin was detected in the leaching solvents.According to the estimation,the average daily intake of total butyltin compounds through vinegar consumption is about 0.04 ng Sn/kg b.w.,much lower than the Tolerable Daily Intake(TDI) of 100 ng Sn/kg b.w.set by the European Food Safety Authority(EFSA).     

水相中丁基锡化合物同时衍生／萃取气相色谱／火焰光度检测方法研究

本文建立了水相中丁基锡化合物的衍生／萃取一步进行气相色谱／火焰光度检测的方法，探讨了溶剂，氮气流速，温度及火焰条件对分离及测定的影响，获得了理想的分离及检测条件。检出限分别为一丁基锡（ＭＢＴ）及二丁基锡（ＤＢＴ）０．２５ｎｇ，三丁基锡（ＴＢＴ）及四丁基锡（Ｂｕ４Ｓｎ）０．５ｎｇ；线性范围０－８ｎｇ，相对标准偏差小于４％。     

海河底泥中12种抗生素残留的液相色谱串联质谱同时检测

建立了同时检测河流底泥中12种抗生素(4种磺胺类、3种喹诺酮类、2种四环素类、2种大环内酯类、甲氧苄啶)残留的高效液相色谱串联质谱检测方法(HPLC-MS/MS)。样品提取过程中以NaF为离子交换剂,经2种提取液逐次提取,合并提取液,正己烷脱脂,萃取物经SAX-HLB固相萃取系统净化浓缩,氮吹,定容。以乙腈和0.3%甲酸为流动相,采用梯度洗脱进行液相色谱分离,以Simatone为内标物,用质谱检测器进行定性和定量分析。12种目标物的检出限为1.0~5.0 ng/g,回收率为65%~91%,相对标准偏差为0.6%~5.1%(n=4)。     

Evaluation of extraction techniques for butyltin compounds in sediment

There have been many methods available for the determination of butyltin compounds in sediment. The variations of these methods are not in the methods of determination but rather in the extraction of these compounds from the complex matrices. All of these methods have not been critically compared or evaluated, mainly because of the lack of a suitable reference sediment for butyltin compounds. Recently, the National Research Council of Canada has introduced a reference sediment (PACS-1) which contains certified values of butyltin compounds. The present study compares the recoveries of ten extraction techniques for butyltin species using ethylation derivatization and GC AA as the method of determination. Of these ten methods, only four were found satisfactory for extraction of the dibutyltin and tributyltin species. None of the methods evaluated, however, could quantitatively extract monobutyltin from sediment.     

Simultaneous determination of butyltin and phenyltin species in sediments using ultrasound-assisted leaching

A fast and simple procedure is presented for the simultaneous leaching of butyl (mono, di and tributyl) and phenyl organotin species from sediment samples. Leached compounds are further ethylated with sodium tetraethylborate in aqueous medium, and analyzed by gas chromatography. After testing the stability of triphenyltin under different extraction conditions, ultrasound-assisted leaching at room temperature in the presence of acetic acid was been proposed as an extraction procedure compatible with the simultaneous determination of phenyl- and butyltin compounds in sediments. Recoveries between 70 and 90% were obtained for phenyl species in spiked samples prepared in the laboratory. Results for butyltin species were validated by use of the reference material PACS-2. Quantification limits, using GC–MIP–AES as measurement technique, were approximately 5–10 ng g^–1. Precision in the consecutive analysis of three sediment samples varied between 3 and 10%. Received: 16 January 2001 / Revised: 12 March 2001 / Accepted: 13 April 2001     

Isotope dilution GC-MS routine method for the determination of butyltin compounds in water

A standard GC-MS instrument with electron impact ionisation has been used to develop a fast, simple and reliable method for the simultaneous determination of monobutyltin (MBT), dibutyltin (DBT) and tributyltin (TBT) in water samples. Isotope dilution analysis (IDA) is used for the determination of species, taking advantage of a commercially available spike solution containing a mixture of MBT, DBT and TBT enriched in ¹¹⁹Sn. Method detection limits for 100-mL samples were between 0.18 and 0.25 ng L⁻¹ for the three butyltin compounds with typical RSD between 2 and 4% at levels between 100 and 10 ng L⁻¹, respectively. Recovery of tin species in spiked samples (natural water, wastewater and seawater) was quantitative. The stability of butyltin compounds in collected seawater samples was also studied. The addition of a 1% (v/v) glacial acetic acid preserved tin species in the samples for at least 5 days at room temperature. The IDA method was finally implemented in a routine testing laboratory and it was subsequently accredited by the Spanish National Accreditation Body according to the requirements of UNE-EN ISO/IEC 17025.     

Determination of butyltin, methyltin and tetraalkyltin in marine food products with gas chromatography-atomic absorption spectrometry

Extraction methods were developed for the determination of butyltin, methyltin and tetraalkyltin in marine food products. Alkyltins were complexed with either diphenylthiocarbazone (dithizone) or tropolone from enzymatically hydrolysed samples. Tetraalkyltins were extracted with hexane. Butyl or methyl derivatives of the alkyltins were made by Grignard reaction for analysis by gas chromatography-atomic absorption spectrometry. Many of the examined marine food products contained ppb levels of alkyltins. Tetramethyltin and tetraethyltin levels were less than the method detection limits of 0.8 and 0.7 ng/g (as Sn), respectively.     

Comprehensive study of the parameters influencing the detection of organotin compounds by a pulsed flame photometric detector in sewage sludge

An investigation of the operating conditions of a pulsed flame photometric detection (PFPD) system for the determination of organotin compounds (OTCs) in sewage sludge is reported. During the analyses, some spectral interferences were observed. For their elimination detector parameters such as gate delay and gate width were investigated. In addition, the applicability of three different internal standards was evaluated. Under optimised analytical conditions (gate delay 3 ms, gate width 2 ms, tripropyltin as internal standard) limits of detection (LOD) were determined. The LOD for butyltins ranged between 8 and 16 ng Sn g(-1), for phenyltins around 8 ng Sn g(-1) and for octyltins between 5 and 10 ng Sn g(-1). Since there is no certified reference material (CRM) available for sewage sludge, the accuracy of the analytical procedure was checked by the analysis of CRM PACS-2 (marine sediment) and a spiked sludge sample. Good agreement between determined and certified values was obtained. Sewage sludge from a local wastewater treatment plant was analysed and the results compared with data from the literature.     

Applicability of solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography atomic emission detection (GC-MIP AED) for the determination of butyltin compounds in sediment samples

The performance of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) applied to the determination of butyltin compounds in sediment samples is systematically evaluated. Matrix effects and influence of blank signals on the detection limits of the method are studied in detail. The interval of linear response is also evaluated in order to assess the applicability of the method to sediments polluted with butyltin compounds over a large range of concentrations. Advantages and drawbacks of including an SPME step, instead of the classic liquid–liquid extraction of the derivatized analytes, in the determination of butyltin compounds in sediment samples are considered in terms of achieved detection limits and experimental effort. Analytes were extracted from the samples by sonication using glacial acetic acid. An aliquot of the centrifuged extract was placed on a vial where compounds were ethylated and concentrated on a PDMS fiber using the headspace mode. Determinations were carried out using GC-MIP AED.