Anatase titanium dioxide manufacturers cater to a wide range of applications
In a 2017 study published in Scientific Reports, researchers exposed rats to human-relevant levels of E171 to examine the effects of intestinal inflammation and carcinogenesis. They saw that “a 100-day E171 treatment promoted colon microinflammation and initiated preneoplastic lesions while also fostering the growth of aberrant crypt foci in a chemically induced carcinogenesis model.” They continued: “Stimulation of immune cells isolated from Peyer’s Patches [which are clusters of lymphoid follicles found in the intestine] showed a decrease in Thelper (Th)-1 IFN-γ secretion, while splenic Th1/Th17 inflammatory responses sharply increased,” researchers wrote. “A 100-day titanium dioxide treatment promoted colon microinflammation and initiated preneoplastic lesions.” The scientists concluded: “These data should be considered for risk assessments of the susceptibility to Th17-driven autoimmune diseases and to colorectal cancer in humans exposed to TiO2 from dietary sources.”
Overall, the Food Directorate's comprehensive review of the available science of TiO2 as a food additive showed:
In 2017, the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) warned that they should revise their recommendations if any new evidence emerges in the future related to the potentially harmful effects of TiO2NPs used in a sunscreen formulation or if they can penetrate the skin. In fact, our work could contribute to this matter because it evaluated the skin penetration of a particular kind of TiO2NPs. [8]