Determination of Organotin Compounds in Timber and Wood Products by GC-MS

The gas chromatography. mass spectrometric (GC-MS) method was developed for the determination of 4 organotin compounds in timber and wood products. According to the preservative retention capacity, effective concentration and timber density, the analog samples were made of pine wood and plywood for experimental condition optimization. The analytes were extracted in ethanol and derivatised with NaBEt4 (2%) at pH 5 with acetate buffer solution by ultrasonic bathing. The species of monobutyltin (MBT), dibutyltin (DBT), tributyltin (TBT) and triphenyltin (TPhT) are extracted with hexane and then detected simultaneously by GC-MS. The method has a good reproducibility and recovery with the linearity in the ranges of 0.1-20 mg/L. The average recoveries were in the range of 83.6% and 103.2% with the relative standard deviations of less than 9.8%.