DETERMINATION OF TRIBUTYLTIN AND TRIPHENYLTIN COMPOUNDS IN FISH BY GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY WITH FLAME PHOTOMETRIC DETECTION

A gas-chromatographic method is described for the determination of tributyltin and triphenyltin compounds in fish. Fish tissue was hydrolyzed with a potassium hydroxide/ethanol solution. Organotin compounds were extracted with toluene. The extract was purified with a series of cation- and anion-exchange resin cartridges. Organotin compounds were propylated and then determined by gas chromatography with flame photometric detection. Separation of the organotin compounds was carried out using a Silicone OV-1 packed column and an Ultra-1 capillary column. Organotin compounds were stable during hydrolysis for 90 min at 60-degrees-C. The detection limits of the two organotin compounds in their chloride forms were 0.06 ng (6 ng/ g for 5 g of the sample) for tributyltin compounds and 0.1 ng (10 ng/g for 5 g of sample) for triphenyltin compounds. Compounds yielding propyltributyltin and propyltriphenyltin were found in fish at levels ranging from none detected to 120 ng/g, and 10 to 520 ng/g in their chloride forms.