Titanium dioxide manufacturing and its effects

Titanium dioxide manufacturers prepare this multi-useful substance for different purposes. For example, titanium dioxide is highly-covering light pigment that is used as covering pigment in paints based on latex and solvents. Titanium dioxide is manufactured substance. It is the substance that makes toothpaste white and paint non-transparent. Besides, titanium dioxide manufacturing enables this multi-purpose substance to dissolve almost every organic substance when exposed to sun or other source of light.

In order to prevent this harmful effect, besides minimization, majority of manufactures in titanium dioxide manufacturing additionally coats nano particles of titanium dioxide. Intention is clear: to insert artificially produced protective barrier between titanium dioxide and skin cells. Very thin layer of organic or other mineral ingredient will prevent their contact and disable release of free radicals into skin (that would happen due to ultraviolet radiation on titanium dioxide).

Coating also improves physical and chemical features of nano particles, because it decreases risk of creation of clusters in protective substance formulation. Coating of nano particles of titanium dioxide can be organic (such as silicones) or non-organic (such as aluminum hydroxide).

When titaniumdioxide is used as food coloring, it is marked as E171. It's primary use is though in paint production, as plastic and ceramic starch, in glass production as UV light protection, but titanium dioxide uses are variable:

·         cosmetic products: sunblock creams

·         personal hygiene products: toothpaste

·         pharmaceutical products: caps, tablets, vitamins

·         food for humans and for animals

Titanium dioxide is used as nano material and this used has increased its manufacturing several times in just the last few years. Consequently, this exposes us to this substance through its emission into our environment. Nano materials are materials whose structural components are in size range of 1-100 nm.

Different experimental approach provided numerous data that enables comparing two samples, and presenting "topographic" structure of skin in high resolution.

Adhesive tape samples, both human and pig skin, as well as skin samples examined under TEM, showed that micronized titanium dioxide was deposited only on the outer layer of skin and that it doesn't penetrate to deeper skin layers -when it is applied directly on the skin, as cosmetic product.

Skin creams with mineral filter are recommended for children over 2 years of age, because their sensitive skin shouldn’t get in contact with chemicals from regular creams.

Titanium dioxide uses are present in household paints, oils, cosmetics, rubber, plastics, textile, paper, pills, ink, and skimmed milk. Titanium dioxide manufacturing that creates nano particles creates certain dilemmas for its oxidative effect. These nano particles of titanium dioxide have use in car industry (anti-fogging products) because tiny nano particles are transparent and don't allow water to collect on surface.

Titanium dioxide uses make for 70% of total pigment production in the world. Titanium dioxide gives whiteness and transparency to products, which is the reason why it is used for production of paints, plastics, paper, printing paints, rubber, food, toothpaste. Titanium dioxide is also used in cosmetics as it is a must substance for sunblock creams because it absorbs UV rays and thus protects skin, just as zinc oxide. Manufacturers of these creams add to them titanium dioxide nano particles, considering that they use children and sensitive skin. But there is more and more info about potential health risk of this substance, as well as potential allergic reactions.