china titanium dioxide used in medicine

The photocatalytic activity of titanium dioxide results in thin coatings exhibiting self-cleaning and disinfecting properties under exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Alloys are characterized by being lightweight and having very high tensile strength (even at high temperatures), high corrosion resistance, and an ability to withstand extreme temperatures and thus are used principally in aircraft, pipes for power plants, armour plating, naval ships, spacecraft, and missiles.

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No acute effects of nano-sized TiO2 were observed in Danio rerio (zebrafish) embryos. Exposure of rainbow trout to TiO2 NPs triggered lipid peroxidation, influence on the respiratory tract, disturbance in the metabolism of Cu and Zn, induction of intestinal erosion  and accumulation in kidney tissue. Linhua et al. exposed juvenile carp to 100 and 200 mg/ml of particles and TiO2 observed no mortality. However, the fish suffered from oxidative stress and pathological changes in gill and liver. In the infaunal species Arenicola marina, exposure to TiO2 NPs in sediment caused sub-lethal effects including decrease in casting rate and increase in cellular and DNA damage. Aggregated particles were visible in the lumen of the gut, but no uptake through the gut or the skin was observed.

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Prof Maged Younes, Chair of EFSA’s expert Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF), said: “Taking into account all available scientific studies and data, the Panel concluded that titanium dioxide can no longer be considered safe as a food additive . A critical element in reaching this conclusion is that we could not exclude genotoxicity concerns after consumption of titanium dioxide particles. After oral ingestion, the absorption of titanium dioxide particles is low, however they can accumulate in the body”. 

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