This Web page has been archived on the Web.
2003 October Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development
Exhibit 1.13—Special review of tributyltin
|
According to scientists who have studied tributyltin, it is perhaps the most toxic chemical that has ever been deliberately introduced into the aquatic environment. Paints containing tributyltin are used to prevent the fouling of underwater structures and boats. It is also an endocrine-disrupting substance that affects the sexual characteristics of marine invertebrates at extremely low concentrations.
Concerns about tributyltin were first identified in 1975, and a series of studies by scientists from Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and other countries confirmed the problem. Regulations were introduced in many countries in the 1980s and the 1990s. In Canada, antifouling paint containing tributyltin was regulated in 1989, however a survey five years later showed the problem had not been solved. Following a two-year special review, the Agency said that no antifouling uses of tributyltin would be permitted in Canada as of 1 November 2002-27 years later. There may be significant concentrations in some sediments in Canada for another 20 to 30 years because of the persistence of the substance. This example and other special reviews point to the need for better and faster ways to translate research results into regulatory action.
Source: Based on information from the Pest Management Regulatory Agency