Organotin compounds used in PVC production as heat stabilisers are registered in the high tonnage bands under Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (REACH). Not for all of them are sufficient toxicological data avail¬able. It has been assumed previously that dioctyltin bis(2-ethylhexyl mercaptoacetate) (DOTE) and dibutyltin ma-leate (DBTM) form corresponding dichloride compounds under simulated gastric conditions (dioctyltin dichloride (DOTC) or dibutyltin dichloride (DBTC), respectively) and thus it was hypothesised that their toxicological behaviour is similar to the dichloride forms.
The aim of the present investigations is to further characterise the metabolites of DOTE and DBTM formed in a simulated gastric environment in order to substantiate or challenge the application of a read-across approach to DOTC and DBTC as pro¬posed under REACH.