While IARC listed titanium dioxide as “possibly carcinogenic to humans,” they also add that “there is inadequate evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of titanium dioxide.” Of the four human studies that they reviewed, only one showed a potential risk for occupational workers inhaling titanium dioxide particles and lung cancer, while the other three showed no risk for cancer at all. And it’s key to note that IARC did not assess the effects of titanium dioxide found in foods.

It’s true that titanium dioxide does not rank as high for UVA protection as zinc oxide, it ends up being a small difference (think about it like being 10 years old versus 10 years and 3 months old). This is not easily understood in terms of other factors affecting how sunscreen actives perform (such as the base formula), so many, including some dermatologists, assume that zinc oxide is superior to titanium dioxide for UVA protection. When carefully formulated, titanium dioxide provides excellent UVA protection. Its UVA protection peak is lower than that of zinc oxide, but both continue to provide protection throughout the UVA range for the same amount of time.

Mars Wrigley, the company that makes Skittles, is being sued by a California man who claims the candy contains a known toxin that poses such a serious health risk that Skittles are unfit for human consumption.

Overnight news titanium dioxide industry

Titanium dioxide is one of the many oxides formed naturally in our environment. Manufacturers source this mined mineral from rutile, brookite, and anatase. It is then processed and refined to meet stringent safety guidelines based on the end-use for the mineral. 

Fig. 9. Selected images of damaged skin treated with P25TiO₂NPs 10% (left) and healthy skin treated with VitaminB2@P25TiO₂NPs 10% (right).

In a review published in 2022 in the journal Archives of Toxicology, researchers found that the ingestion of E171 is a “a definite health risk for consumers and their progeny.” After reviewing dozens of in vivo, ex vivo and in vitro studies on the toxicity of E171, the researchers wrote that two facts must be noted: “First, reprotoxicity studies show that animals of both sexes are impacted by the toxicity of these nanoparticles, underlining the importance of conducting in vivo studies using both male and female animals. Second, human exposure begins in utero via maternal-fetal transfer and continues after birth by breastfeeding. Children are then chronically re-exposed due to their food preferences. To be relevant to the human in vivo situation, experimental studies should therefore consider nanoparticle exposure with respect to the age or life period of the studied population.”

① Coatings: The downstream demand structure of domestic and overseas titanium dioxide is similar. Coatings are the largest application fields, accounting for 61% of the consumption. Among the four components of paint products, namely resin, pigments and fillers, solvents and additives, titanium dioxide accounts for 10% to 25% of the total cost, accounting for more than 90% of the total amount of pigments and fillers, and more than 95% of the total amount of white pigments.

Oxygen Deficiency and Resistive Switching Mechanisms

Australia and New Zealand review of TiO2