Organotin compounds are generally of anthropogenic
origin apart from methyltins, which may be produced
also by environmental methylation as well. After recognising
the biocidal properties of trialkylated organotins
in the 1950s, the variety of applications increased considerably.
Total world-wide use of organotin compounds
increased dramatically in the last four decades
from about 5000 tons annually at the beginning of the
1960s to over 60000tons annually in the late 1980s
(Morabito et al., 1995). To date, organotins are the
most widely used organometallic compounds (Fent,
1996). Well known organotin compounds are butyland
phenyltin compounds. Butyltin compounds are
mainly used as stabilisers for polyvinylchloride (PVC)
(mainly mono- and di-butyltins) and as biocides (triorganotins).
The environmental impact of triorganotins