marine chemical ; TBT ; antibiotic medicine ; chemical regulations ; farming
Abstract
There are lots of hazard chemicals able to effect marine environment, such as antifoulant, antibiotic medicine, and farming chemicals. Tributyltin is a toxic chemical used for various industrial purposes. Due to its widespread use as an antifouling agent in boat paints, TBT is a common contaminant of marine and freshwater ecosystems exceeding acute and chronic toxicity levels. TBT is the most significant pesticide in marine and freshwaters and consequently its environmental level, fate, toxicity and human exposure are of current concern. This paper reviews the state of the science regarding TBT, with special attention paid to the environmental levels, toxicity, and human exposure. TBT compounds have been detected in a number of environmental samples. It is concluded that investigations on experimental toxicity, dietary intake, potential human health effects and development of new sustainable technologies to remove TBT compounds are clearly necessary.