Inhaling high concentrations of titanium dioxide dust or fumes, which may occur in occupational settings — such as in the production or processing of products containing the mineral — may cause respiratory problems like coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath, in addition to eye and skin irritation.
Overall, the Food Directorate's comprehensive review of the available science of TiO2 as a food additive showed:
When choosing a wholesale supplier for anatase titanium dioxide, it's important to consider factors such as quality, consistency, and reliability. Look for suppliers who have a proven track record of delivering high-quality products on time and in full. It's also a good idea to inquire about the supplier's manufacturing processes and quality control measures to ensure that the titanium dioxide meets industry standards.
Potential hazards of oral exposure to TiO2 NPs
The paints & coatings segment contributed the largest in the global Lithopone market share. It is added to paint as a white pigment to enhance its surface properties such as UV resistance and resistance to fungicidal and algae growth.
In a 2016 study published in Scientifica (Cairo), Egyptian researchers examined the effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on the organs of mice by orally administering the food additive daily, for five days. The results showed that the exposure produced “mild to moderate changes in the cytoarchitecture of brain tissue in a time dependent manner.” Furthermore, “Comet assay revealed the apoptotic DNA fragmentation, while PCR-SSCP pattern and direct sequencing showed point mutation of Presenilin 1 gene at exon 5, gene linked to inherited forms of Alzheimer’s disease.” The researchers wrote: “From these findings, “the present study concluded that TiO2NPs is genotoxic and mutagenic to brain tissue which in turn might lead to Alzheimer’s disease incidence.”


105°C volatile matter, %
Analyst Insight
Although barium sulfate is almost completely inert, zinc sulfide degrades upon exposure to UV light, leading to darkening of the pigment. The severity of this UV reaction is dependent on a combination of two factors; how much zinc sulfide makes up the pigments formulation, and its total accumulated UV exposure. Depending on these factors Lithopone B301, Lithopone B311 powder itself may vary in shade over time, ranging from pure white all the way to grey or even black. To suppress this effect, a dopant might be used, like small amount of cobalt salts, which would be added to the formulation. This process creates cobalt-doped zinc sulfide. The cobalt salts help to stabilize zinc sulfide so it will not have as severe a reaction to UV exposure.
The applications in which it can be used are paints, inks, plastics, elastomers, paper, fillers, adhesives…
Apart from proximately neuromorphic technologies, TiO2-based memristors have also found application in various sensors. The principle of memristive sensorics is based on the dependency of the resistive switching on various external stimuli. This includes recording of mechanical energy (Vilmi et al., 2016), hydrogen detection (Hossein-Babaei and Rahbarpour, 2011; Strungaru et al., 2015; Haidry et al., 2017; Vidiš et al., 2019), γ-ray sensing (Abunahla et al., 2016), and various fluidic-based sensors, such as sensors for pH (Hadis et al., 2015a) and glucose concentration (Hadis et al., 2015b). In addition, TiO2 thin films may generate photoinduced electron–hole pairs, which give rise to UV radiation sensors (Hossein-Babaei et al., 2012). Recently, the biosensing properties of TiO2-based memristors have been demonstrated in the detection of the bovine serum albumin protein molecule (Sahu and Jammalamadaka, 2019). Furthermore, this work has also demonstrated that the introduction of an additional graphene oxide layer may effectively prevent the growth of multidimensional and random conductive paths, resulting in a lower switching voltage, better endurance, and a higher resistance switching ratio. This opens up a new horizon for further functional convergence of metal oxides and two-dimensional memristive materials and interfaces (Zhang et al., 2019a).
Is titanium dioxide dangerous? Has it been linked to any health issues?
