Toxicity of triorganotin compounds to the brine shrimp, Artemia salina

The 14 triorganotin compounds that were screened against the brine shrimp, Artemia salina, were least effective against the first nauplii stage (24 h). This was attributed to the presence of a yolk membrane which reduced the contact between the triorganotin compounds and the organism. The data indicated that the species responsible for the toxicity is primarily the hydrated triorganotin cation. However, the anion X group may also play a minor role in the toxicity of these compounds. The observed order of activity for the triorganotins does not parallel their hydrophobicities, indicating that other factors must be involved in the toxicity mechanism. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.