In a study published in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology in 2020, researchers examined the effects of food additives titanium dioxide and silica on the intestinal tract by grouping and feeding mice three different food-grade particles — micro-TiO2, nano-TiO2, and nano-SiO2. With all three groups, researchers observed changes in the gut microbiota, particularly mucus-associated bacteria. Furthermore, all three groups experienced inflammatory damage to the intestine, but the nano-TiO2 displayed the most pronounced changes. The researchers wrote: “Our results suggest that the toxic effects on the intestine were due to reduced intestinal mucus barrier function and an increase in metabolite lipopolysaccharides which activated the expression of inflammatory factors downstream. In mice exposed to nano-TiO2, the intestinal PKC/TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway was activated. These findings will raise awareness of toxicities associated with the use of food-grade TiO2 and SiO2.”
In addition to its physical properties, titanium dioxide also has environmental benefits. As a non-toxic compound, it is safe to use in homes, offices and public places. Coatings formulated with titanium dioxide contain virtually no volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ensuring minimal impact on indoor air quality and human health. Additionally, due to their long-lasting nature, titanium dioxide-infused paints can help create a more sustainable environment by reducing waste and the need for frequent repainting.
Second, the present invention provides a large-scale industrial production process with low production cost, high efficiency, energy saving, and stable product quality with an annual production capacity of several hundred thousand tons. Selective leaching of zinc by ammonia method, combined with ammonium persulfate iron removal, vulcanization method and zinc powder replacement method to remove heavy metal elements such as nickel, copper, lead, cadmium and arsenic, and metathesis reaction to obtain nZnS-B a S0 4 crystal filter cake. The nano-Lide powder product is obtained by directly drying and pulverizing without high-temperature calcination. The resulting product is of good quality and industrially operable.