Food & Drink / Compounds / Dibutyltin (DBT)

Dibutyltin (DBT) in food: ingestion safety

Moderate risk

Not medical or professional safety advice, and not a substitute for a qualified clinician — consult one. Full disclaimer →

(People-specific data is limited; this page draws from human adult context.) Immunotoxic — thymus atrophy. Thyroid disruptor. Main organotin in food contact.

What is dibutyltin (dbt)?

The IUPAC name is dibutyltin(2+).

Also known as: (Dibutyl)stannane, Dibutyltin ion, dibutyltin(2+), DTXSID001028108.

IUPAC name
dibutyltin(2+)
CAS number
1002-53-5
Molecular formula
C8H20Sn
Molecular weight
234.95 g/mol
SMILES
CCCC[Sn+2]CCCC
PubChem CID
9543249

Risk for people

Moderate risk

Immunotoxic — thymus atrophy. Thyroid disruptor. Main organotin in food contact.

Regulatory consensus

2 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Dibutyltin (DBT). The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EU2012Restricted under REACH — max 0.1% Sn in consumer products
EFSA2004TDI 0.1 ug/kg bw/day (group TDI with TBT)

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where you encounter dibutyltin (dbt)

  • Industrial Chemical
  • Food Contaminant

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Dibutyltin (DBT):

  • Calcium-zinc stabilizers for PVC
    Trade-offs: Alternative approach; specific tradeoffs depend on application context, scale, and regulatory requirements. Full hazard assessment of alternative recommended before adoption to avoid regrettable substitution.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×
  • Organic stabilizers
    Trade-offs: Alternative approach; specific tradeoffs depend on application context, scale, and regulatory requirements. Full hazard assessment of alternative recommended before adoption to avoid regrettable substitution.
    Relative cost: 2-5× conventional

Frequently asked questions

No FAQ entries generated.

See Dibutyltin (DBT) in the food app

Look up products containing dibutyltin (dbt), compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in food View raw API data

Sources (1)
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Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →