CERTIFIED REFERENCE MATERIAL (CRM-462) FOR THE QUALITY-CONTROL OF DIBUTYL-TIN AND TRIBUTYL-TIN DETERMINATIONS IN COASTAL SEDIMENT

Determinations of tributyltin (TBT) species, along with the degradation products mono- and dibutyltin (MBT and DBT), are routinely carried out by a number of laboratories to ascertain the level of organotin contamination of the marine environment, particularly in water, sediment and biota. In order to improve and control the quality of such analyses the EC Community Bureau of Reference, BCR (Measurements and Testing Programme), has organized two interlaboratory studies on TBT in water and TBT in a spiked sediment which were followed by a certification campaign for butyltins in a coastal sediment (CRM 462). This material was collected in the Arcachon Bay (France), then carefully prepared (controlled oven drying) and its homogeneity and long-term stability were verified. This paper presents the certification work performed. The certified values for TBT and DBT are 70 +/- 14 ng g(-1) (as TBT cation) and 128 +/- 16 ng g(-1) (as DBT cation), respectively.