Chemical name:

Final regulatory action has been taken for the category: Industrial

Final regulatory action: The chemical is Severely Restricted

Use or uses prohibited by the final regulatory action:

All manufacture, use, sale, offer for sale or import of tributyltins, or a product containing them, is prohibited unless they are incidentally present.

Use or uses that remain allowed:

This prohibition does not apply to the following:

(a) tetrabutyltin containing a concentration of less than or equal to 30% by weight of tributyltins; and

(b) mono- and dibutyltins (in applications such as PVC processing, glass coating or as catalysts), because tributyltins are incidentally present in these products.

Furthermore, the Regulations, do not apply to tributyltins for pesticidal uses within the meaning of section 2 of the Pest Control Products Act.

A person who is a manufacturer or importer of tributyltins, or a product containing them, on the day on which the Regulations come into force may continue that activity if they have been issued a permit under section 10 of the Regulations.

A person may use, sell, or offer for sale a product containing tributyltins if they are manufactured or imported before the day on which these Regulations come into force.

The final regulatory action was based on a risk or hazard evaluation: Yes

Summary of the final regulatory action:

A person must not manufacture, use, sell, offer for sale or import tributyltins or a product containing them unless the toxic substance is incidentally present.

This prohibition does not apply to the following:

(a) tetrabutyltin containing a concentration of less than or equal to 30% by weight of tributyltins; and

(b) mono- and dibutyltins (in applications such as PVC processing, glass coating or as catalysts), because tributyltins are incidentally present in these products.

Furthermore, the Regulations, do not apply to tributyltins for pesticidal uses within the meaning of section 2 of the Pest Control Products Act.

A person who is a manufacturer or importer of tributyltins, or a product containing them, on the day on which the Regulations come into force may continue that activity if they have been issued a permit under section 10 of the Regulations.

A person may use, sell, or offer for sale a product containing tributyltins if they are manufactured or imported before the day on which these Regulations come into force.

The reasons for the final regulatory action were relevant to: Environment

Summary of known hazards and risks to the environment:

Tributyltins are harmful to many aquatic organisms at low concentrations. They are present in the environment as a result of human activity. They have been shown to impose male sexual characteristics on females of some marine gastropods and appear to have the potential to induce sex reversal in some marine fish. Estimated and measured concentrations of tributyltins in some locations in Canada are high enough to cause adverse effects in sensitive organisms. Furthermore, tributyltins meet the criteria for persistence and bioaccumulation set out in the Persistence and Bioaccumulation Regulations, a regulation made under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999). Tributyltins are present as a contaminant in commercial tetrabutyltin formulations and probably at much lower levels in mono- and dibutyltin formulations.

Expected effect of the final regulatory action in relation to the environment:

The proposed risk management objective for tributyltins is to achieve the lowest level of releases that are technically and economically feasible.

Date of entry into force of the final regulatory action: 14/03/2013