What do sunscreen, toothpaste, and pastries have in common? Many of them contain a chemical called titanium dioxide, or TiO2, which is used to increase whiteness and block UV rays. Yet this same chemical — the one slathered on your kids when it’s sunny out and that goes into your mouth when you brush your teeth — has also been shown to increase the risks of certain types of cancer.
Last year, the French National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA) published a study detailing the possible carcinogenic properties of titanium dioxide. These findings have been supported by other studies, including one that found a direct link between TiO2 and cancer in rats.
Titanium dioxide is often used as a nanomaterial — particles that are tens of thousands of times smaller than a human hair. At such a small scale, elements have different physical properties. Even substances commonly accepted as safe could be toxic. Unfortunately, research on the health effects of nanoparticles lags far behind the innovative application of nanotechnology, so the public is left in the dark about materials in the products we use daily. Though TiO2 is usually only present in small amounts, it is found in so many products that we come into contact with daily that it can accumulate in the body and become toxic. The INRA study also warns that such tiny particles of TiO2 may be able to pass through the walls of vital organs like the lungs and liver and interfere with the normal functioning of cells.
Even before the INRA study, the French citizen’s group Agir pour l’Environnement raised the alarm about the potential harms of nanotechnology, especially TiO2, in food products. Agir pour l’Environnement conducted tests on several products on the French market and found that all of them had nanoparticles in them — despite not being labelled as such, contrary to European regulations.
In the summer of 2016, Agir Pour l’Environnement called for the removal of the unlabeled TiO2-containing products from the market, as well as a guarantee that consumers would have access to information on the nanomaterials in their products. The group launched a massive campaign for consumers’ right to information and safety.
Given the risks of TiO2 and the public outcry against its presence in food, France has proposed a ban on the substance by the end of 2018 and has asked the European Commission to also suspend usage of TiO2 in order to evaluate its effects. That request has been hotly debated within the Commission, but within France, many food producers have pledged to go TiO2-free in their food.
In the United States, several similar campaigns are underway. Since 2011, the Center for Food Safety has campaigned for the removal of titanium dioxide and other nanotechnology from consumer products. Though the US government has not addressed nanotechnology in food, some US-based food producers, like Dunkin’ Donuts and Mars, have pledge to begin removing nano-TiO2 from their products.
But this alone is not enough. Companies must also label all products that contain nanomaterials and remove TiO2 from packaging and non-food products like medicine and cosmetics. And although the TiO2 ban is an important first step, we have yet to see whether it will be enough to truly protect people’s health. It’s still unclear what products would be included: As the proposal stands, the ban would cover only food products containing TiO2.
The impacts of nanotechnology remain uncertain, but the science of TiO2 is clear: It is a threat to human health. The European Commission must act on this scientific evidence now and stop delaying action.
By Anderson Lanham, Communications Intern
Originally posted on August 21, 2018