Risk managers at the European Commission and in EU Member States have been informed of EFSA’s conclusions and will consider appropriate action to take to ensure consumers’ protection.
The updated evaluation revises the outcome of EFSA’s previous assessment published in 2016, which highlighted the need for more research to fill data gaps.
The trend in the production of NPs is likely to lead to increasing amounts of nano-powders in the air, water and soil, which will consequently affect living organisms. Labielle et al. demonstrated that 25 % of Al(OH)3-coated TiO2 particles from sunscreens are dispersed as a stable colloid and become available to microorganisms and filter-feeders, while the remaining 75 % are probably incorporated into geogenic sediments, where they could become available to benthic fauna. Solar UV iradiation may penetrate as far as 20 m in the water column and therefore photo-activate the dispersed particles, which may have an adverse effect on various aquatic organisms.