Food & Drink / Compounds / Dibutyltin (DBT)

Dibutyltin (DBT) in food: ingestion safety

Moderate risk

(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)?

CAS number
1002-53-5
Molecular formula
C8H20Sn
Molecular weight
234.95 g/mol
SMILES
CCCC[Sn]CCCC
PubChem CID
14484

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.

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