Environmental remediation techniques of tributyltin contamination in soil and water: A review

• A critical review of remediation techniques for TBT contaminated soil and water.
• The first review paper covers global TBT-antifouling paints legislation process.
• Laboratory, pilot-scale and full-scale TBT clean-up techniques are reviewed.
• Efficiency, feasibility and cost of the clean-up techniques are compared.

Tributyltin (TBT) compounds are active constituents of organotin antifouling paints which were used to prevent the growth of ‘fouling’ organisms on marine structures and vessels since 1950s. Due to the widespread applications as antifouling agent on commercial and military marine vessels, TBT compounds entered various ecosystems and are still being found in sewage sludge, sediments and waterways. Since the adverse toxic effects of TBT to non-targeted aquatic life were discovered in 1980s, significant effort has been directed towards the clean-up of TBT-contaminated marine sediments and waterways. Most of published research papers regarding TBT compounds mainly focus on their properties, environmental fates, levels and toxicity. This paper firstly reviews the global TBT legislation development from 1980s to 2008, and also presents a critical review of environmental disposal and remediation techniques of TBT contaminated soil and water. The efficiency, feasibility and cost of recent TBT clean-up techniques by thermal treatment, biodegradation, advanced chemical oxidation and physio-chemical adsorption are also critically reviewed.