title: Imposex and butyltin contamination still evident in Chile after TBT global ban.
abstract: Imposex in gastropods (Acanthina monodon, Oliva peruviana and Xanthochorus cassidiformis), butyltin levels in surface sediments (Coquimbo and Concepcion) and tissues (Valparaiso and Concepcion) were assessed in three areas under the influence of maritime activities along the central Chilean coast. The highest TBT concentrations were observed in São Vicente Bay (Concepcion), reaching 122.3ngSng(-1) in surface sediments and 59.7ngSng(-1) in gastropods tissue, while in Valparaiso ranged from 7.4 to 15.8ngSng(-1) in biota. The lowest TBT concentrations were detected in sediments from Coquimbo (<2ngSng(-1)), which can be attributed to a much lower ship/boat traffic (probably using TBT free products) in association to local oceanographic conditions. Despite DBT and MBT were the predominant analytes, recent inputs of TBT were evident in some areas. In fact, fishing boats may be a relevant source since they were the predominant maritime activity in the most contaminated sites. In addition, the absence of significant differences within BTs levels between both genders of A. monodon suggests that tissues from distinct sexes can be indistinctly used for future contamination studies. Imposex incidence was detected in 11 out of 15 sampled sites, indicating that environmental levels of TBT have been sufficient to induce deleterious effects on the exposed organisms. Thus, the impacts caused by TBT in Chilean coastal areas were detectable and consistent with other studies performed in South America. This present environmental contamination is probably due to the lack of regulations forbidding the use of TBT-based antifouling paints in Chile.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Av. Itália Km 8, s/n, Rio Grande, RS 96203-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodrigo Moço
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Batista
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Av. Itália Km 8, s/n, Rio Grande, RS 96203-900, Brazil; Departamento de Ciências do Mar, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Santos, SP 11030-400, Brazil.
authors.forename: Italo Braga
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Av. Itália Km 8, s/n, Rio Grande, RS 96203-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gilberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fillmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002677:Chile; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D009947:Organotin Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects; D012908:Snails / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014220:Trialkyltin Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D009947:Organotin Compounds; D014220:Trialkyltin Compounds; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C516409:mono-n-butyltin; C056189:di-n-butyltin; C011559:tributyltin
keywords: Acanthina monodon; Antifouling; Fresh inputs; Oliva peruviana; Sediments; Xanthochorus cassidiformis