Simultaneous determination of butyltin and phenyltin compounds in oysters by capillary gas chromatography.

A method is described for the simultaneous determination of butyl- and phenyltin compounds in oyster samples. The organotin compounds were extracted (as chlorides) from oyster homogenates with hydrochloric acid and benzene in the presence of 0.05% tropolone. These compounds were converted into pentyl derivatives with pentyl Grignard reagent and then analysed by capillary gas chromatography with a flame photometric detector equipped with a 393-nm filter. The recoveries of six organotin compounds added to oyster samples ranged from 71 to 74%. The detection limits of butyl- and phenyltin compounds were in the 5-9 pg range as tin. We detected significant amounts of three organotin compounds (di- and tributyltin and triphenyltin) in oyster samples.