Issue 4, 2022

Toxicological impact of titanium dioxide nanoparticles and food-grade titanium dioxide (E171) on human and environmental health

Abstract

The widespread use of titanium dioxide (TiO2) as a pigment, mostly in the form of nanoparticles (NPs), for a variety of applications, arouses increasing concerns about its possible impact on human health and aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Particularly relevant is the impact of ingestion of this nanomaterial from products containing food-grade TiO2 (E171) as well as food “contaminated” by TiO2 dispersed in the environment. In fact, TiO2 NPs will inevitably leak into the environment and will be transported in water and soil, acting on organisms and ecosystems. TiO2 NPs can pass through biological membranes, enter the cells and accumulate in tissues and organs, exerting toxic effects. Despite the enormous efforts in recent years to better clarify the interactions between TiO2 NPs and the host, differences in experimental approaches and/or controversial results still make it difficult to establish a true perception of risk. To draw a more homogeneous picture of the problem, here we write a critical review of the literature-more than a taxonomic review-selecting evidence of any correlation between the physico-chemical characteristics of TiO2 NPs, their passage through biological barriers, and the impact on human and environmental health.

Graphical abstract: Toxicological impact of titanium dioxide nanoparticles and food-grade titanium dioxide (E171) on human and environmental health

Article information

Article type
Critical Review
Submitted
07 Sept. 2021
Accepted
28 Febr. 2022
First published
01 Marts 2022

Environ. Sci.: Nano, 2022,9, 1199-1211

Toxicological impact of titanium dioxide nanoparticles and food-grade titanium dioxide (E171) on human and environmental health

F. Fiordaliso, P. Bigini, M. Salmona and L. Diomede, Environ. Sci.: Nano, 2022, 9, 1199 DOI: 10.1039/D1EN00833A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements