Analysis of Organotins Using Large Volume Injection Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Selected Ion Monitoring

Organotins have been used in the shipping industry as protective paint coatings applied to the hulls of ships. However, trisubstituted organotin compounds decompose in water in a stepwise manner to less substituted compounds, down to inorganic tin. As a result of their toxicity at low concentrations, trisubstituted organotin compounds are regulated through global environmental quality standards. To ensure regulatory compliance and environmental protection, the industry must perform rigorous monitoring of these compounds. This article will discuss current European environmental quality standards and review traditional methods for analysing organotins and their limitations. An application example will be used to demonstrate the analytical capabilities of large volume injection gas chromatography-mass spectrometry selected ion monitoring (LVI GC–MS SIM) for analysing organotins.

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