The quantitation of butyltin and cyclohexyltin compounds in the marine environment of British Columbia

A HPLC/GF AA procedure based on the use of C‐18 columns is described for the quantitation of butyltin species in marine samples. When a mass spectrometer was used as detector (HPLC MS), evidence was obtained for the presence of other tin compounds in the samples. Extracts of samples were treated with CH3MgBr and examined by using GC MS; the presence of BunSnMe4−n (n = 3–1, Bu = butyl) and CynSnMe4−n (n = 3,2, Cy = cyclohexyl) was confirmed in the derivatized seawater, bivalve flesh, and bivalve shell samples. Quantitative data are given for butyl‐ and cyclohexyl‐tin species in seawater and the surface microlayer, and oyster flesh.