The effects of TiO₂ NPs in plants

CNNC Huayuan Titanium Dioxide Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as the company or CNNC TiO2 is a famous titanium dioxide manufacturer in China and a listed company on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Its main products are high-grade rutile titanium dioxide, which are widely used in coatings, plastics, rubber, In ink, paper and other fields, it is known as “industrial monosodium glutamate”, and its application prospects are very broad.

While the FDA maintains that the regulated use of titanium dioxide is safe, the European Food Safety Authority and some other experts warn of potential, serious health risks.

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.”