Extraction procedure for organotin analysis in plant matrices: optimisation and application.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Food Safety

Background:

• Organotin compounds are environmental pollutants with limited documented analysis in vegetal matrices.
• A specific extraction procedure for organotins from plant samples is lacking in scientific literature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and optimize an efficient extraction method for organotin compounds in vegetal samples.
• To determine the levels and speciation of organotins in edible plants and algae.

Main Methods:

• Comparison of six different extraction solutions (HCl, acetic acid, NaOH, TMAH, enzymatic, ethyl acetate).
• Optimization of extraction parameters to maximize recovery and minimize degradation.
• Application of the optimized method for organotin speciation in French beans and algae.

Main Results:

• Hydrochloric acid (HCl)-based extraction yielded the highest recoveries.
• The optimized method achieved 100% recovery of tributyltin and triphenyltin in spiked vegetal powders.
• Organotins were detected in algae from an urban treatment plant and in French beans grown in polluted solutions, with levels up to 800 μg (Sn) kg⁻¹.

Conclusions:

• A robust and efficient method for organotin extraction from vegetal matrices was successfully developed.
• The study confirms the presence and uptake of organotins in plants, highlighting a potential pathway for human exposure.
• Findings underscore the importance of monitoring organotin contamination in food sources and environmental water.