>
Spotlight October 2022: The titanium dioxide debate – why the current ECHA and EFSA hazard classification should be questioned
Due to various reports and scientific studies, titanium dioxide (TiO2)was also banned in Europe this year (2022) for use as a food additive with the indication that it could possibly be carcinogenic to humans. Although no case of tumour induction in humans has been reported since the use of this material in micro but also nano size in many products (included in paints as a white pigment for more than 80 years and permitted in foodstuffs in Europe since 2008) the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have concluded that the evidence would be sufficient to apply a new classification.
However, the British Committee on Mutagenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COC) and Health Canada disagree and continue to classify TiO2 as harmless because they consider the evidence from the submitted reports to be inconclusive and inapplicable.
The two here presented recent publications now comment on this new classification in Europe and come to the conclusion that this classification must be reconsidered, as there is no evidence for such a direct genotoxic effect of TiO2 in consumer products, would thus follow the British and Canadian example. The example of TiO2 makes it clear how important it is in the future to carry out toxicological tests exactly according to protocol and thus produce high-quality and comprehensible “FAIR” results (cf. Spotlights September 2022 and August 2021).
Original publications:
- Driscoll, K.E. (2022). Review of Lung Particle Overload, Rat Lung Cancer, and the Conclusions of the Edinburgh Expert Panel-It’s Time to Revisit Cancer Hazard Classifications for Titanium Dioxide and Carbon Black. Front Public Health 10, 907318
- Kirkland, D., Aardema, M.J., Battersby, R.V., Beevers, C., Burnett, K., Burzlaff, A., Czich, A., Donner, E. M., Fowler, P., Johnston, H.J., Krug, H.F., Pfuhler, S., Stankowski, L.F. (2022). A weight of evidence review of the genotoxicity of titanium dioxide (TiO₂). Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, in press, journal pre-proof
Weitere Spotlights
Spotlight Juli 2020: “Nanosafety – More than just regulatory processes”
Nanosafety is more than just a compulsory aspect of nanomaterials research and regulation. This research area also has great potential to drive new innovations. It is exactly this perspective that is addressed in the special issue “Rethinking Nanosafety: Harnessing Progress and Driving Innovation” by Chen et al. 2020. The article illustrates that especially in the field of […]
Read moreSpotlight November 2020: Nanotechnology in the public perception
In November, we would like to draw your attention to a publication that examines public perception of the safety of nanomaterials in Austria.It shows, that although there is generally a rather positive attitude towards nanomaterials, there are different opinions on safety issues from different social groups. Further clarification seems necessary. Despite the widespread use of […]
Read moreSpotlight September 2021: Wood, the raw material of the future?
One of the greatest challenges facing humanity is to produce clean drinking water under the given circumstances of global warming, population growth and increasing littering. In September, we would like to present a review article that believes one approach to solve this problem is the use of nanoscale wood. In the review, “Advanced Nanowood Materials […]
Read moreSpotlight March 2021: Is Nanotechnology the Swiss Army Knife against Future Pandemics?
The COVID 19 outbreak has led to a fundamental rethinking of existing approaches to diagnosis, treatment, and prevention methods. The need for better and more efficient concepts is global and urgent. Nanotechnology has long been at the forefront of innovation and has led to advances in many different disciplines. Could this interdisciplinary field help develop […]
Read more