A method for the analysis of butyltin chlorides in air by gas chromatography with atomic emission detection.

An initial screening test compared the use of tropolone (2-hydroxy-2,4-6-cycloheptatrienone) in acetic acid with sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (NaDDC) as chelating agents for the extraction of butyltin chlorides from glass fiber filters and XAD-2 resin tube. NaDDC was chosen for subsequent analyses. Mono-, di-, and tributyltin chloride were spiked onto glass fiber filters and XAD-2 resin, extracted in toluene with NaDDC and derivatized with pentylmagnesium bromide. Derivatized butyltin species were determined by gas chromatography with plasma atomic emission detection. Glass fiber filters and XAD-2 resin were found to provide high retention of butyltin compounds during sampling and efficient recovery of butyltin compounds by extraction with NaDDC.