Acute and sublethal effects of organotin compounds on aquatic biota: an interpretative literature evaluation.

The objectives of this review were to: (1) collect, synthesize, and interpret acute and sublethal organotin toxicity data in both freshwater and estuarine-marine ecosystems; (2) present environmental water column and sediment concentrations of organotin compounds in both freshwater and estuarine-marine systems to facilitate interpretation of toxicity data; and (3) identify deficiencies in available data to recommend areas of future research for assessing ecological effects of organotin compounds in aquatic systems. The following recommendations are suggested: (1) evaluation of the bioavailability of organotin compounds in aquatic systems; (2) assessment of the relationship between physicochemical characteristics of organotin compounds and subsequent toxicity effects on aquatic organisms; (3) determination of organotin effects on food chains; (4) evaluation of the specific mechanisms and modes of toxicity for organotin compounds with aquatic biotia; (5) evaluations of the adaptive responses of aquatic biota to organotins; (6) measurement of organotin concentrations in testing chambers throughout toxicity tests using peer-reviewed analytical techniques (nominal concentrations can provide misleading data); (7) assessment of long-term "low level" exposures of organotin compounds on histological, histochemical, behavioral, and physiological responses of aquatic biota; and (8) toxicity assessment of plasticizer organotin compounds to aquatic biota.