Distribution of butyltin compounds in the coastal environment of the Bahía Blanca estuary, Argentina

Abstract This study evaluates for the first time the distribution and accumulation of butyltin compounds (BTs) in different compartments as seawater, sediments, suspended particulate matter (SPM) and mussels (Brachidontes rodriguezii) in the Bahía Blanca estuary. The samples were collected from six sampling sites with different anthropogenic impact. A better visualization and interpretation of data were achieved using chemometric tools (Tucker4 model), which made it possible to reveal the main relationships between the variables. This analysis showed the presence of BTs in all environmental compartments along the estuary, even in sites with low human intervention. The relationships found between BTs levels, seasons and environmental matrices show the importance of biological processes such as phytoplankton blooms and remobilization of sediments (by tidal dynamics and/or periodic dredging) in the BTs distribution and degradation. In addition, partition coefficients showed that mussels mainly bioaccumulate tributyltin through sediment, water and, to a lesser extent, from SPM.