Lithopone

What does this court ruling mean for regulation?

For those wishing to limit or avoid exposure to titanium dioxide in foods, there are some steps you can take. 

Still, in 2016 Skittles publicly declared it would get rid of the chemical compound in its products, according to a press release at the time from the Center for Food Safety, which called the substance harmful and potentially poisonous. But the ingredient remains, according to the lawsuit, which alleges the candy company is misleading consumers by not having eliminated titanium dioxide.

Lithopone supplier: Synthesis method of lithopone

Should I be worried about the use of titanium dioxide in my toothpaste?

There's also evidence that inhaling titanium dioxide particles can be dangerous. That's mainly a concern for industrial workers. In places where it's produced, or where it's used to make other products, workers can breathe it in as a dust. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration has exposure standards manufacturers must meet.

Cet article traite de la découverte de lithopone phosphorescent sur des dessins à l'aquarelle, datés entre 1890 et 1905, de l'artiste Américain John La Farge et de l'histoire du lithopone dans l'industrie des pigments à la fin du 19e et au début du 20e siècle. Malgré de nombreuses qualités souhaitables pour une utilisation en tant que blanc dans les aquarelles et les peintures à l'huile, le développement du lithopone comme pigment pour artistes a été compliqué de par sa tendance à noircir lorsqu'il est exposé au soleil. Sa disponibilité et son usage par les artistes demeurent incertains parce que les catalogues des marchands de couleurs n'étaient généralement pas explicites à indiquer si les pigments blancs contenaient du lithopone. De plus, lors d'un examen visuel, le lithopone peut être confondu avec le blanc de plomb et sa phosphorescence de courte durée peut facilement être ignorée par l'observateur non averti. À ce jour, le lithopone phosphorescent a seulement été documenté sur une autre œuvre: une aquarelle de Van Gogh. En plus de l'histoire de la fabrication du lithopone, cet article décrit le mécanisme de sa phosphorescence et son identification à l'aide de la spectroscopie Raman et de la spectrofluorimétrie. En este artículo se discute el descubrimiento del litopón fosforescente en dibujos a la acuarela por el artista americano John La Farge, fechados de 1890 a 1905, y la historia del litopón en la industria de los pigmentos a finales del Siglo XIX y principios del Siglo XX. A pesar de tener muchas cualidades deseables para su uso en pintura para acuarela o pinturas al óleo blancas, el desarrollo del litopón como pigmento para artistas fue obstaculizado por su tendencia a oscurecerse con la luz solar. Su disponibilidad para los artistas y su adopción por ellos sigue siendo poco clara, ya que por lo general los catálogos comerciales de los coloristas no eran explícitos al describir si los pigmentos blancos contenían litopón. Además, el litopón se puede confundir con blanco de plomo durante el examen visual, y su fosforescencia de corta duración puede ser fácilmente pasada por alto por el observador desinformado. A la fecha, el litopón fosforescente ha sido documentado solamente en otra obra mas: una acuarela por Van Gogh. Además de la historia de la fabricación del litopón, el artículo detalla el mecanismo para su fosforescencia, y su identificación con la ayuda de espectroscopía de Raman, y de espectrofluorimetría. Este artigo discute a descoberta de litopônio fosforescente em desenhos de aquarela do artista americano John La Farge datados de entre 1890 e 1905 e a história do litopônio na indústria de pigmento no final do século XIX e início do século XX. Apesar de ter muitas qualidades desejáveis para o uso em aquarela branca ou tintas a óleo, o desenvolvimento do litopônio como um pigmento de artistas foi prejudicado por sua tendência a se escurecer na luz solar. Sua disponibilidade para e uso por parte de artistas ainda não está clara, uma vez que os catálogos comerciais dos vendedores de tintas geralmente não eram explícitos na descrição de pigmentos brancos como algo que contém litopônio. Além disso, o litopônio pode ser confundido com o branco de chumbo durante o exame visual e sua fosforescência de curta duração pode ser facilmente perdida pelo observador desinformado. O litopônio fosforescente foi documentado em apenas um outro trabalho até hoje: uma aquarela de Van Gogh. Além da história da manufatura do litopônio, o artigo detalha o mecanismo para a sua fosforescência e sua identificação auxiliada pela espectroscopia de Raman e espectrofluorimetria.

There are many ways we’re exposed to titanium dioxide in our everyday life. Below are the most common ways we encounter titanium dioxide. 

Australian researchers examined how titanium dioxide as a food additive affected gut microbiota in mice by orally administering it in drinking water. The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition in 2019, found the treatment could “alter the release of bacterial metabolites in vivo and affect the spatial distribution of commensal bacteria in vitro by promoting biofilm formation. We also found reduced expression of the colonic mucin 2 gene, a key component of the intestinal mucus layer, and increased expression of the beta defensin gene, indicating that titanium dioxide significantly impacts gut homeostasis.” The changes were then linked to colonic inflammation, along with a higher expression of inflammatory cytokines, which are signal proteins that help with regulation. The researchers concluded that titanium dioxide “impairs gut homeostasis which may in turn prime the host for disease development.”

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According to a 2011 study published in Radiology and Oncology, titanium dioxide may lead to some adverse effects in the body, including oxidative stress, inflammation, and changes in cell signaling pathways. Additionally, pure titanium dioxide can be notably harmful when inhaled.

Since then, there has been a few animal studies suggesting titanium dioxide is connected to cancer. A 2017 study in Scientific Reports, for instance, found that rats with titanium dioxide in their diet had impaired immune systems, which could contribute to autoimmune diseases and colorectal cancer.

Lithopone

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is a multifunctional semiconductor that exists in three crystalline forms: anatase, rutile, and brookite. Owing to an appropriate combination of physical and chemical properties, environmental compatibility, and low production cost, polycrystalline TiO₂ has found a large variety of applications and is considered to be a promising material for future technologies. One of the most distinctive physical properties of this material is its high photocatalytic activity (Nam et al., 2019); however, more recently it has attracted growing interest because of its resistive switching abilities (Yang et al., 2008).

Basic Information

Lithopone 30% CAS No. 1345-05-7