Tributyltin oxide degradation

Bis(tributyltin) oxide is known to break down to inorganic tin under UV irradiation in laboratory conditions (509, 510), and the decomposition may be accelerated by absorbing the organotin compound on a cel-lulosic matrix (511). As bis(tributyltin) oxide is known to react rapidly with carbon dioxide (atmospheric, or trapped in various cellulosic materials, such as cotton or wood) (512), to form bis(tributyltin) carbonate, (BusSnO)2CO, the observed UV degradation pattern may be rationalized in terms of more-ready breakdown of the carbonate than of the oxide, due to the presence of the carbonyl chromophore. The half-life of bis(tributyltin) oxide in pond water has recently been given as 16 days (513). Diorganotin compounds have also been shown to decompose to inorganic tin under UV irradiation (514, 515). 

Barug D. 1981. Microbial degradation of bis (tributyltin) oxide. Chemosphere 10 1145-1154. 

Rohm and Haas have introduced Sea-Nine , a new anti-foulant, to replace environmentally persistent and toxic organotin anti-foulants, such as tributyltin oxide (TBTO). Currently, fouling costs the shipping industry approximately 3 billion a year in increased fuel consumption needed to overcome hydrodynamic drag increased fuel consumption subsequently contributes to pollution, global warming, and acid rain. Sea-Nine anti-foulant degrades extremely rapidly with a half-life of one day in seawater and one hour in sediment. 

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