http://highwire.stanford.edu/cgi/medline/pmid;15382863

Medline Abstract

GB Jiang, JY Liu, and QF Zhou
Search for the contamination source of butyltin compounds in wine:
agglomerated cork stoppers.
Environ Sci Technol, August 15, 2004; 38(16): 4349-52.

Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research
Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Beijing, 100085, China.

A possible butyltin contamination source in wine was studied in this
paper. Agglomerated cork stoppers, which were produced in Portugal,
Spain, and Italy, used in wine bottles were examined. The domestic
cork products, cork granules, and mucus used for cork products were
also analyzed. The levels of mono- and dibutyltin compounds in corks
were found in the range from <0.0024 to 3.3 and from <0.0029 to 6.7
microg of Sn/g, respectively. A low level of tributyltin contamination
was also found in 2 of 31 tested samples. The presence of butyltin
compounds in agglomerated cork stoppers was confirmed by GC-MS.
Experimental results indicated that all overseas agglomerated cork
stoppers studied contained mono- and/or dibutyltins. Butyltins were
not detected in cork granules, mucus, most of the natural cork
stoppers, and domestic agglomerated cork products. The concentrations
of mono- and dibutyltins increased with the time in a 30-day
experiment, showing that butyltin compounds can leach from
agglomerated cork to the wine. When the butyltin concentrations in
wine samples were compared with their levels in the corresponding
agglomerated cork stoppers, a correlation was found. The potential
harm of such food contamination was evaluated by the toxic research of
butyltin compounds using Daphnia sp. as the experimental model.


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