Organotin compounds or stannanes are chemical compounds based on tin with hydrocarbon substituents. Organotin compounds are commercially applied as hydrochloric acid scavengers in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and as biocides. Tributyltin oxide for example (or tributyltin for short) has been extensively used as a wood preservative. Tributyltin compounds are used as marine anti-biofouling agents. Concerns over toxicity of these compounds (some reports describe biological effects to marine life at a concentration of 1 nanogram per liter) have led to a world-wide ban by the International Maritime Organization.