② Plastics: At present, it is the second largest user of titanium dioxide pigments, accounting for about 20% of the total demand for titanium dioxide. The amount of titanium dioxide used in plastic products will vary with the use requirements, generally between 0.5% and 5%. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, the production of plastic products in China increased from 57.81 million tons in 2012 to 81.84 million tons in 2019, with a compound annual growth rate of 5.1%. The amount of titanium dioxide increases accordingly.

In a 2016 study published in Scientifica (Cairo), Egyptian researchers examined the effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on the organs of mice by orally administering the food additive daily, for five days. The results showed that the exposure produced “mild to moderate changes in the cytoarchitecture of brain tissue in a time dependent manner.” Furthermore, “Comet assay revealed the apoptotic DNA fragmentation, while PCR-SSCP pattern and direct sequencing showed point mutation of Presenilin 1 gene at exon 5, gene linked to inherited forms of Alzheimer’s disease.” The researchers wrote: “From these findings, “the present study concluded that TiO2NPs is genotoxic and mutagenic to brain tissue which in turn might lead to Alzheimer’s disease incidence.”