Tributyltin levels in bivalve mollusks from the east and west coasts of the United States: Results from the 1988–1990 national status and trends mussel watch project

Three years of extensive monitoring for tributyltin (TBT) and its degradation products in tissue of sentinel bivalve mollusks at 69 East Coast and 42 West Coast sites of the United States suggests that the tissue levels of organotins are decreasing systematically at some sites and remaining static or fluctuating at others. Local effects driving input of TBT and influencing the overall health of the organisms are suggested as responsible for these observations. The ratio of TBT to its principal degradation product dibutyltin (DBT) in bivalve mollusk tissues appears to be species specific and constant over a wide range of butyltin concentrations in the animals. The TBT/DBT ratios (mean ± one standard deviation) were determined for the blue mussel Mytilus edulis (2.6 ± 1.0), the California mussel Mytilus californianus (6.2 ± 4.0), and the Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica (6.2 ± 3.4).