titanium dioxide in plastics

In a study published in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology in 2020, researchers examined the effects of food additives titanium dioxide and silica on the intestinal tract by grouping and feeding mice three different food-grade particles — micro-TiO2, nano-TiO2, and nano-SiO2.  With all three groups, researchers observed changes in the gut microbiota, particularly mucus-associated bacteria. Furthermore, all three groups experienced inflammatory damage to the intestine, but the nano-TiO2 displayed the most pronounced changes. The researchers wrote: “Our results suggest that the toxic effects on the intestine were due to reduced intestinal mucus barrier function and an increase in metabolite lipopolysaccharides which activated the expression of inflammatory factors downstream. In mice exposed to nano-TiO2, the intestinal PKC/TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway was activated. These findings will raise awareness of toxicities associated with the use of food-grade TiO2 and SiO2.”

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The vitaminB2@TiO2NPs were obtained at room temperature, by a method developed after trying several ratios of reactants. Briefly, 0.02 g of P25TiO2NPs were dispersed in 1 mL of ultra-pure water and stirred in a Vortex. Next, 200 μl of vitamin B2 dissolved in ultra-pure water (5.3 × 10−3 M) were added to 200 μL of P25TiO2NPs and the mixture was ultrasonicated for 1 hour to achieve a deep-yellow homogeneous suspension. The pellet obtained after centrifuging the suspension for 10 min at 4500 rpm was resuspended in ultrapure water, centrifuged again, and then lyophilized.

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