A review of strategies for the detection and remediation of organotin pollution

Due to the extensive use of organotin compounds (OTCs) in numerous human activities, large amounts have been introduced to various ecosystems. Several appear on the priority pollutant lists of the European Union and the International Maritime Organization has called for a global treaty to ban the application of tributyltin antifouling paints. A decade later and significant concentrations of OTCs are still being detected in water, sediments, biota and soil. This paper initially reviews OTCs in the environment and pathways for human exposure and presents an assessment of monitoring and detection. The efficiency and feasibility of both biological and physiochemical remediation strategies for organotin pollution are also critically reviewed with a particular focus on tributyltin.