Figure 3. Degradation of TBT by sequential dealkylation. (A) TBT (C12H27Sn+) forms (B) β-hydroxybutyl-dibutyltin (C12H27OSn+) through Dioxygenases (incorporating an oxygen atom into the substrate through enzyme activity), to (C) DBT (C8H18Sn2+) and methyl ethyl ketone. (D) β-hydroxybutyl-butyltin (C8H18OSn2+) degrades to (E) MBT (C4H9Sn3+) and methyl ethyl ketone. (F), β-hydroxybutyl (C4H12OSn3+) to (G) tin (Sn4+) and methyl ethyl ketone [1]

From

Developing Microbial Inocula to Support Biofuel Crop Cultivation on Tributyltin Contaminated Marine Sediments

Christopher Finnegan, David Ryan, Anne-Marie Enright, Guiomar Garcia-Cabellos

Journal of Applied & Environmental Microbiology. 2017, 5(2), 47-56 doi:10.12691/jaem-5-2-1