TBT CLEAN - Characterization of sediments of the Antwerp port, Belgium, on contaminents

Organotin compounds are man-made chemicals, synthesized for specific applications such as in PVC stabilization and agrochemical industry, chemical catalysis and as biocides. For decades, tributyltin (TBT) has been used as the active component in antifouling paints for ship hull protection, and is by some considered to be the most toxic compound ever deliberately introduced in the marine environment. Due to its chemical nature, both showing metal ion and hydrophobic material characteristics, literature data show that TBT has a strong tendency to partition out of the water phase to the sediment once it is released from the paint. Many sediments at busy shipping sites, like harbors and marinas, were shown to be enriched in TBT, and could as such serve as a secondary source of TBT and be of environmental concern. In this task of the project, we aimed at characterizing the Antwerp Port sediment in order to obtain data on organotin and other contaminant concentrations, their distribution and possible correlation in the different sediment fractions, . The results presented in this report can serve as the basis for decisions on possible pilot-scale remediation technologies to be used in the near future, but should however be compared with characteristics of other important European ports.