water treatment chemicals supplier

In sunscreen, titanium dioxide is used as a barrier to keep the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays from damaging your skin. It's processed into much smaller particles than what goes into food, called nanoparticles. In this form, it becomes transparent, and also absorbs UV light so it doesn't reach your skin.

The presence of so many lithopone factories in China has also led to advancements in production technology and quality control. Chinese manufacturers have invested heavily in research and development to improve the performance of their lithopone products, leading to higher quality and more consistent products on the market. This has helped to cement China's reputation as a leading producer of lithopone on the global stage.

For research published in Archives of Toxicology in 2020, scientists fed one group of mice a solution containing titanium dioxide for one month, and compared it to those that did not receive the additive. They found “the richness and evenness of gut microbiota were remarkably decreased and the gut microbial community compositions were significantly changed” in the titanium dioxide group when compared with the control group. The tests also revealed that the titanium dioxide exposure could cause locomotor dysfunction, or mobility issues “by elevating the excitement of enteric neurons, which might spread to the brain via gut-brain communication by vagal pathway.” The researchers concluded: “These findings provide valuable insights into the novel mechanism of TiO2NP-induced neurotoxicity. Understanding the microbiota-gut-brain axis will provide the foundation for potential therapeutic or prevention approaches against TiO2NP-induced gut and brain-related disorders.”

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is by far the most suited white pigment to obtain whiteness and hiding power in coatings, inks and plastics. This is because it has an extremely high refractive index and it does not absorb visible light. TiO₂ is also readily available as particles with the right size (d ≈ 280 nm) and the right shape (more or less spherical) as well as with a variety of post-treatments.

However, the pigment is expensive, especially when the volume prices of systems are used. And, there always remains a need to develop a full-proof strategy to obtain the best results in terms of cost/performance ratio, scattering efficiency, dispersion… while using it in coating formulations. Are you searching for the same?

Explore the detailed knowledge of TiO₂ pigment, its scattering efficiency, optimization, selection, etc. to achieve the best possible white color strength and hiding power in your formulations.

In addition to the toxic effects of TiO₂ NPs, discussed in previous chapters, these NPs have been also shown to promote photosynthesis and nitrogen metabolism, resulting in the enhanced growth of spinach. It increases the absorption of light and accelerates the transfer and transformation of the light energy. It was also found that treatment with nano-sized TiO₂ significantly increased the level of antioxidant enzymes, and decreased the ROS accumulation and malonyldialdehyde content in spinach chloroplasts under visible and UV irradiation. TiO₂ NPs also increased the superoxide dismutase activity of germinating soybean, enhanced its antioxidant ability, and promoted seed germination and seedling growth.

Food-grade titanium dioxide differs from what’s added to plastics and paints to enhance whiteness. However, there have been concerns about the environmental impact of titanium dioxide production and the potential health risks from exposure to its particles.

EFSA's evaluation is related to the risks of TiO₂ used as a food additive, not to other uses.

Declaration of Competing Interest

In its 2016 opinion, the ANS Panel recommended new studies be carried out to fill the gaps on possible effects on the reproductive system, which could enable them to set an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI ). Uncertainty around the characterisation of the material used as the food additive (E 171) was also highlighted, in particular with respect to particle size and particle size distribution of titanium dioxide used as E 171.