Studies on the degradation of bis(tributyltin) oxide in soil

The degradation of bis(tri[1-¹⁴C]butyltin) oxide in two soils (1 mg tin kg^?1) has been studied under laboratory conditions. Half of the applied compound disappeared from unsterilised silt loam and sandy loam in approximately 15 and 20 weeks, respectively; it disappeared also from the sterilised soils but to a lesser extent. The formation of small amounts of dibutyltin derivatives was established by thin-layer chromatography both in the unsterilised and sterile soils. The amount of unextractable radioactivity increased with time in the unsterilised and sterile soils. In the unsterilised soils ¹⁴C was released as [¹⁴C]carbon dioxide in amounts equivalent to 20% of the applied radioactivity for silt loam and 10.7% for sandy loam over a period of 42 weeks. Almost no [¹⁴C]carbon dioxide was released from the sterile soils, confirming microbial participation in the degradation of the compound in the unsterilised soils.