Restrictions on the use of @entity2384 ( @entity2385 ) in aquaculture and on boats in coastal regions, except for ocean-going vessels, have been in place in Japan since 1990 due to the strong toxic effects of @entity2385 on marine organisms. However, @entity2385 pollution along the Japanese coasts has been reported after this legislation was enacted. In order to elucidate the present status of contamination by @entity8758 (BT) compounds, we measured the levels of @entity10741 [ @entity8219 ( @entity8758 ), @entity20206 ( @entity20207 ) and @entity2385 ] in seawater and Caprella spp. samples obtained from the western part of Seto Inland Sea, Uwa Sea and Uranouchi Bay in western Japan during March to September, 2001. Butyltins were detected in more than 90% of the seawater samples (n = 59), with average concentrations of 8.2+/-9.2 (SD) ng MBT L(-1), 3.3+/-3.0 ng DBT L(-1) and 9.0+/-7.0 ng @entity2385 L(-1). Among 41 stations situated on coastal lines, a sufficient number of Caprella organisms for chemical analysis could be collected from only 16 stations. The @entity8758 concentrations in seawater and Caprella samples from Uwa Sea and Uranouchi Bay, in which the dominant industry in both waters is aquaculture, showed significantly higher than or no significant differences from those samples from the western part of Seto Inland Sea, a major heavy-industry area in Japan. As the @entity2385 concentration in seawater increased, the number of Caprella organisms collected decreased. The mean @entity2385 concentration among the seawater samples was above the estimated lowest observable effect concentration (LOEC) that reduces the survival rate of Caprella danilevskii. Thus, the present study indicates that @entity2385 is still a potential ecological hazard to the survival of marine invertebrates inhabiting coasts along western Japan, even 11 years after the partial ban on @entity2385 usage was implemented.

Status of @entity8758 pollution along the coasts of western Japan in 2001, 11 years after partial restrictions on the usage of XXXX .

@entity20206 :: ('MESH:C056189', 'Chemical') :: ['dibutyltin'] @entity10741 :: ('CHEBI:32816', 'Chemical') :: ['BTs'] @entity2384 :: ('MESH:C011559', 'Chemical') :: ['tributyltin'] @entity2385 :: ('CHEBI:27086', 'Chemical') :: ['TBT'] @entity20207 :: ('CHEBI:23686', 'Chemical') :: ['DBT'] @entity8758 :: ('CHEBI:22966', 'Chemical') :: ['butyltin', 'MBT'] @entity8219 :: ('MESH:C516409', 'Chemical') :: ['monobutyltin']
@entity2384 :: (MESH:C011559,Chemical) :: ['tributyltin']
