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Study of the degradation of butyltin compounds in surface water samples under different storage conditions using multiple isotope tracers and GC-MS/MS

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Abstract

The degradation of butyltin compounds in surface water samples under different storage conditions has been studied. A triple spike solution, containing monobutyltin (MBT), dibutyltin (DBT) and tributyltin (TBT) labelled with a different tin isotope, was added to the sample to calculate the extent of the interconversion reactions among butyltin compounds. Real surface water samples (river water) were collected and stored in glass, polypropylene or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) containers. The presence of light, addition of acetic acid, storage temperature (22, 4 or −18 °C), and the influence of a filtration step were evaluated. Moreover, Milli-Q water with and without the addition of a high concentration of humic acids was prepared in parallel and the results compared to those obtained from the real samples. The water samples were analysed by gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) in selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode at two different storage times (2 weeks and 4 months after its preparation) to carry out both a short- and a long-term stability study. The lowest butyltin degradation was obtained when the samples were stored at −18 °C in the dark. Under these conditions, both TBT and DBT showed negligible dealkylation factors after 2 weeks. After 4 months, DBT dealkylation to MBT increased up to 19 % but TBT degradation was not observed.

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Acknowledgments

This work has been performed within the scope of an EMRP Research Excellence Grant (REG). The EMRP is jointly funded by the EMRP participating countries within EURAMET and the European Union. Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through Project CTQ2012-36711 (cofounded by FEDER) is acknowledged. The UE is also acknowledged for the provision of FEDER funds for the purchase of the GC-MS/MS instrument. P. Rodríguez-González acknowledges his research contract RYC-2010-06644 to the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the Ramón y Cajal Program. Saioa Elordui-Zapatarietxe and Håkan Emteborg from the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM) are acknowledged for the provision of the humic acid solution.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Oviedo, Julián Clavería 8, 33006, Oviedo, Spain

    Andrés Rodríguez-Cea, Pablo Rodríguez-González & J. Ignacio García Alonso

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  1. Andrés Rodríguez-Cea
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  2. Pablo Rodríguez-González
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  3. J. Ignacio García Alonso
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Correspondence to Pablo Rodríguez-González.

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Rodríguez-Cea, A., Rodríguez-González, P. & García Alonso, J.I. Study of the degradation of butyltin compounds in surface water samples under different storage conditions using multiple isotope tracers and GC-MS/MS. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 4876–4885 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5686-x

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