Applications

Animal studies show exposure to titanium dioxide is linked to immunotoxicity, inflammation and neurotoxicity. 

In addition to sunscreen, titanium IV oxide is also used in the production of paints. Titanium dioxide is a popular pigment in the paint industry because of its brightness and opacity. It provides excellent coverage and durability, making it an ideal choice for exterior and interior paints. Titanium dioxide is often used in white paints, but it can also be used to create a wide range of colors by mixing it with other pigments.

Freshwater algae show low-to-moderate susceptibility to TiO₂ exposure, with more pronounced toxic effects in the presence of UV irradiation. It has also been shown that nano-sized TiO₂ is significantly more toxic to algae Pseudokirchneriella sub-capitata than submicron-sized TiO₂. Hund-Rinke and Simon  reported that UV irradiated 25 nm TiO₂ NPs are more toxic to green freshwater algae Desmodesmus subspicatus than UV irradiated 50 nm particles, which is in agreement with Hartmann et al. UV irradiated TiO₂ NPs also inactivated other algae species such as Anabaena, Microcystis, Melsoira and Chroococcus. It was demonstrated that smaller particles have a greater potential to penetrate the cell interior than submicron-sized particles and larger aggregates. Studies have shown that the amount of TiO₂ adsorbed on algal cells can be up to 2.3 times their own weight.