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The National Cancer Institute tested TiO2 for possible carcinogenicity by the oral route of exposure by feeding rats and mice with TiO2 (size not specified) at doses 25,000 or 50,000 ppm TiO2 for 103 weeks. They concluded that TiO2 was not carcinogenic.Also, the study with rats fed diets containing up to 5 % TiO2 coated mica for 130 weeks showed no treatment-related carcinogenicity. Since the size and other TiO2 properties were not specified or determined, we cannot generalize this conclusion and we have to take into account other possible outcomes of this scenario in different exposure conditions (other size/crystalline structure of TiO2 etc.).
Titanium dioxide can amplify and brighten white opacity because of its exceptional light-scattering properties. In food and drugs, these properties help to define colors clearly and can prevent products from UV degradation.
Titanium dioxide has also been classified as a possible human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which has caused concern about its use in food products. This classification, however, is currently based on limited evidence from animal studies that involved the inhalation of titanium dioxide particles that increased the risk of lung cancer.
Titanium dioxide nanoparticles have also been found in human placentae and in infant meconium, indicating its ability to be transferred from mother to fetus.
TiO2 is also used in the production of plastics, where it serves as a whitening agent and UV stabilizer. By incorporating TiO2 into plastic products, manufacturers can enhance their appearance, increase their lifespan, and improve their resistance to sunlight and weathering. Additionally, TiO2 helps prevent the degradation of plastic materials, ensuring that they retain their properties and performance over time.
Porcelain White, 32 per cent sulphide, 68 per cent barium sulphate.
Lithopone B301, Lithopone B311 powder, brilliant white pigment used in paints, inks, leather, paper, linoleum, and face powder. It was developed in the 1870s as a substitute or supplement for lead carbonate (white lead), to overcome its drawbacks of toxicity, poor weathering, and darkening in atmospheres that contain sulfur compounds. Lithopone B301, Lithopone B311 powder is an insoluble mixture of barium sulfate and zinc sulfide that precipitates upon mixing solutions of barium sulfide and zinc sulfate. The precipitate is recovered by filtration, then calcined (roasted) at temperatures above 600° C (1,112° F). Although Lithopone B301, Lithopone B311 powder has been replaced in many applications by titanium dioxide, it is still widely used in a number of products, such as water paints.