ISO 23161:2009 specifies a gas-chromatographic method for the identification and quantification of organotin compounds (OTCs) in soils as specified in Table 1. The method is also applicable to samples from sediments, sludges and wastes (soil-like materials). The working range depends on the detection technique used and the amount of sample taken for analysis. The limit of quantification for each compound is about 10g/kg.

Organotin cations can only be determined in accordance with ISO 23161:2009 after derivatization. The anionic part bound to the organotin cation is mainly dependent on the chemical environment and is not determined using this method. The peralkylated organotin compounds behave in a completely different way from their parent compounds. Tetraalkylated organotin compounds which are already peralkylated, such as tetrabutyltin, are determined directly without derivatization.