Effects of organotin compounds in fish: from the molecular to the population level

Abstract

Organotin compounds are ubiquitous contaminants in the environment. The high toxicity of trisubstituted derivatives towards aquatic organisms has resulted in deleterious impacts on aquatic ecosystems. Although regulations were effective in some respects, tributyltin concentrations remain high enough to cause toxicity to aquatic and benthic organisms. In this communication, the ecotoxicology of organotins is critically reviewed with emphasis on fish as key organisms in aquatic ecosystems. Emphasis is put on effects at different biological levels and the links between levels. The influence of chemical speciation on bioavailability and basic modes of toxic action are discussed. A more complete understanding of the ecotoxicity of organotins can be achieved both by linking environmental chemical and toxicological aspects and by interrelating effects at various biological levels. Molecular and biochemical processes, as well as the modes of toxicant action are of pivotal importance; however, the correlation with higher levels of the biological hierarchy, including organism and population levels, remain to be elucidated. This review gives insights into the potential hazard associated with organotin pollution in aquatic ecosystems, discusses interrelations between the effects at different biological levels, and allows, to a certain extent, some generalizations of the ecotoxicological effects of pollutants in fish.