R. Laughlin, H. Guard, W. M. Coleman
Feb 1, 1986
Citations
7
Influential Citations
149
Citations
Quality indicators
Journal
Environmental science & technology
Abstract
Analysis of chloroform extracts of tributyltin (TBT) dissolved in seawater shows that the equilibrium mixture of speciation products is composed of tributyltin chloride (TBTCl), tributyltin hydroxide (TBTOH), the aquo complex (TBTOH/sub 2//sup +/) (as a function of pH), and a tributyltin carbonato species. The equilibrium distribution is influenced by (Cl/sup -/), dissolved CO/sub 2/, and pH and is easily displaced by variation within the environmental concentration range of these substances. Octanol-water partition coefficients (K/sub ow/) for tributyltin vary as a function of salinity. The lowest value, 5500, was measured in 25 per cent per thousand and increased in higher or lower salinities to a maximum of 7000 in deionized water. The K/sub ow/ values reported here are substantially higher than some previous reports in the literature but are in more reasonable agreement with published bioaccumulation measurements for tributyltin assuming partitioning processes are responsible. 24 references, 4 figures, 1 table.