Determination of organotin compounds in sediment samples by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction followed by gas chromatography – Pulsed flame photometric detection (DLLME-GC-PFPD)

Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) was evaluated for the simultaneous determination of butyl-, phenyl- and octyltin compounds in sediment samples. The most significant factors in DLLME procedure were type and volume of extraction and disperser solvents, and the optimal conditions were reached when 413 and 34 μL of methanol and tetrachloroethylene, respectively, were used. Under optimal conditions, the limit of detection and the relative standard deviation ranged between 0.3 and 1.0 ng L^− 1 and 2–6%, respectively. The developed method was validated for the analysis of a certified reference material and spiked seawater and marine sediment samples, with satisfactory results. Finally, harbor sediment samples collected from the Chilean coastal region were analyzed to demonstrate the applicability of the developed method in the determination of organotin compounds in the environment.