Are Titania Photocatalysts and Titanium Implants Safe? Review on the Toxicity of Titanium Compounds
Titanium and its compounds are broadly used in both industrial and domestic products, including jet engines, missiles, prostheses, implants, pigments, cosmetics, food, and photocatalysts for environmental purification and solar energy conversion. Although titanium/titania-containing materials are us...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-10-01
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| Series: | Nanomaterials |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/10/10/2065 |
| _version_ | 1797550516790624256 |
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| author | Agata Markowska-Szczupak Maya Endo-Kimura Oliwia Paszkiewicz Ewa Kowalska |
| author_facet | Agata Markowska-Szczupak Maya Endo-Kimura Oliwia Paszkiewicz Ewa Kowalska |
| author_sort | Agata Markowska-Szczupak |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Titanium and its compounds are broadly used in both industrial and domestic products, including jet engines, missiles, prostheses, implants, pigments, cosmetics, food, and photocatalysts for environmental purification and solar energy conversion. Although titanium/titania-containing materials are usually safe for human, animals and environment, increasing concerns on their negative impacts have been postulated. Accordingly, this review covers current knowledge on the toxicity of titania and titanium, in which the behaviour, bioavailability, mechanisms of action, and environmental impacts have been discussed in detail, considering both light and dark conditions. Consequently, the following conclusions have been drawn: (i) titania photocatalysts rarely cause health and environmental problems; (ii) despite the lack of proof, the possible carcinogenicity of titania powders to humans is considered by some authorities; (iii) titanium alloys, commonly applied as implant materials, possess a relatively low health risk; (iv) titania microparticles are less toxic than nanoparticles, independent of the means of exposure; (v) excessive accumulation of titanium in the environment cannot be ignored; (vi) titanium/titania-containing products should be clearly marked with health warning labels, especially for pregnant women and young children; (vi) a key knowledge gap is the lack of comprehensive data about the environmental content and the influence of titania/titanium on biodiversity and the ecological functioning of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:30:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4dc6820b5e32455295e1f27055a9a06b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-4991 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:30:26Z |
| publishDate | 2020-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nanomaterials |
| spelling | doaj.art-4dc6820b5e32455295e1f27055a9a06b2023-11-20T17:39:59ZengMDPI AGNanomaterials2079-49912020-10-011010206510.3390/nano10102065Are Titania Photocatalysts and Titanium Implants Safe? Review on the Toxicity of Titanium CompoundsAgata Markowska-Szczupak0Maya Endo-Kimura1Oliwia Paszkiewicz2Ewa Kowalska3Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Al. Piastów 42, 71-065 Szczecin, PolandInstitute for Catalysis, Hokkaido University, N21, W10, Sapporo 001-0021, JapanDepartment of Chemical and Process Engineering, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Al. Piastów 42, 71-065 Szczecin, PolandInstitute for Catalysis, Hokkaido University, N21, W10, Sapporo 001-0021, JapanTitanium and its compounds are broadly used in both industrial and domestic products, including jet engines, missiles, prostheses, implants, pigments, cosmetics, food, and photocatalysts for environmental purification and solar energy conversion. Although titanium/titania-containing materials are usually safe for human, animals and environment, increasing concerns on their negative impacts have been postulated. Accordingly, this review covers current knowledge on the toxicity of titania and titanium, in which the behaviour, bioavailability, mechanisms of action, and environmental impacts have been discussed in detail, considering both light and dark conditions. Consequently, the following conclusions have been drawn: (i) titania photocatalysts rarely cause health and environmental problems; (ii) despite the lack of proof, the possible carcinogenicity of titania powders to humans is considered by some authorities; (iii) titanium alloys, commonly applied as implant materials, possess a relatively low health risk; (iv) titania microparticles are less toxic than nanoparticles, independent of the means of exposure; (v) excessive accumulation of titanium in the environment cannot be ignored; (vi) titanium/titania-containing products should be clearly marked with health warning labels, especially for pregnant women and young children; (vi) a key knowledge gap is the lack of comprehensive data about the environmental content and the influence of titania/titanium on biodiversity and the ecological functioning of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/10/10/2065titanium alloystitaniabioavailabilityphotocatalysisenvironmental persistencenanomaterials |
| spellingShingle | Agata Markowska-Szczupak Maya Endo-Kimura Oliwia Paszkiewicz Ewa Kowalska Are Titania Photocatalysts and Titanium Implants Safe? Review on the Toxicity of Titanium Compounds Nanomaterials titanium alloys titania bioavailability photocatalysis environmental persistence nanomaterials |
| title | Are Titania Photocatalysts and Titanium Implants Safe? Review on the Toxicity of Titanium Compounds |
| title_full | Are Titania Photocatalysts and Titanium Implants Safe? Review on the Toxicity of Titanium Compounds |
| title_fullStr | Are Titania Photocatalysts and Titanium Implants Safe? Review on the Toxicity of Titanium Compounds |
| title_full_unstemmed | Are Titania Photocatalysts and Titanium Implants Safe? Review on the Toxicity of Titanium Compounds |
| title_short | Are Titania Photocatalysts and Titanium Implants Safe? Review on the Toxicity of Titanium Compounds |
| title_sort | are titania photocatalysts and titanium implants safe review on the toxicity of titanium compounds |
| topic | titanium alloys titania bioavailability photocatalysis environmental persistence nanomaterials |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/10/10/2065 |
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