The transformation of phenyltin species during sample preparation of biological tissues using multi-isotope spike SSID-GC-ICPMS.

A multi-isotope spike species-specific isotope dilution (MI-SSID) calibration strategy in connection with gas chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was applied to evaluate different extraction procedures for the speciation analysis of phenyltin (PhT) compounds in biological materials: mussel tissue BCR CRM-477 and fish tissue NIES-11. Three different isotope-enriched PhT compounds, (118)Sn-enriched monophenyltin (MPhT), (122)Sn-enriched diphenyltin (DPhT), and (124)Sn-enriched triphenyltin (TPhT), were used for the preparation of spikes to follow and correct for six possible interconversion reactions between PhT species that can take place in a sample. The acidity of the extractant, the presence of complexing reagents, and the use of ultrasonic or microwave agitation were found to affect the degradation of PhT compounds. No formation of PhTs through phenylation and negligible degradation of MPhT to inorganic tin were observed under the conditions investigated. The degree of degradation increased with increased acidity of extractant and when ultrasonication or microwave agitation was used. Under relatively mild extraction conditions, the degradation factors for DPhT and TPhT in the two reference materials studied were found, using MI-SSID, to be between 10 and 55% and 2 and 10%, respectively. Using the degradation factors, we calculated corrected concentration values for the organotin species. When microwave extraction at high power output was used, hydrogen radicals were formed that can enhance the degradation of DPhT and TPhT. The hydrogen radicals were trapped using N-tert-butyl-alpha-phenylnitrone and detected by electron spin resonance spectrometry. The effect of different extraction parameters on the degradation of PhT compounds in biological samples is discussed.