Distribution of Butyltin Compounds in the Coastal Environment of the Bahía Blanca Estuary, Argentina

PAMELA Y. QUINTAS; ANDRÉS ARIAS; MÓNICA ÁLVAREZ; CLAUDIA E. DOMINI; MARIANO GARRIDO; JORGE E. MARCOVECCHIO

ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2021

0090-4341

This study evaluates for the first time the distribution and accumulation of butyltincompounds (BTs) in different compartments as seawater, sediments, suspendedparticulate matter (SPM) and mussels (Brachidontes rodriguezii) in the Bahía Blancaestuary. The samples were collected from six sampling sites with different anthropogenicimpact. A better visualization and interpretation of data were achieved usingchemometric tools (Tucker4 model), which made it possible to reveal the mainrelationships between the variables. This analysis showed the presence of BTs in allenvironmental compartments along the estuary, even in sites with low humanintervention. The relationships found between BTs levels, seasons and environmentalmatrices show the importance of biological processes such as phytoplankton bloomsand remobilization of sediments (by tidal dynamics and/or periodic dredging) in the BTsdistribution and degradation. In addition, partition coefficients showed that musselsmainly bioaccumulate tributyltin through sediment, water and, to a lesser extent, fromSPM.