The skin of an adult person is, in most places, covered with a relatively thick (∼10 μm) barrier of keratinised dead cells. One of the main questions is still whether TiO2 NPs are able to penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin. The majority of studies suggest that TiO2 NPs, neither uncoated nor coated (SiO2, Al2O3 and SiO2/Al2O3) of different crystalline structures, penetrate normal animal or human skin. However, in most of these studies the exposures were short term (up to 48 h); only few long-term or repeated exposure studies have been published. Wu et al.83 have shown that dermal application of nano-TiO2 of different crystal structures and sizes (4–90 nm) to pig ears for 30 days did not result in penetration of NPs beyond deep epidermis. On the other hand, in the same study the authors reported dermal penetration of TiO2 NPs with subsequent appearance of lesions in multiple organs in hairless mice, that were dermal exposed to nano-TiO2 for 60 days. However, the relevance of this study for human exposure is not conclusive because hairless mice skin has abnormal hair follicles, and mice stratum corneum has higher lipid content than human stratum corneum, which may contribute to different penetration. Recently Sadrieh et al. performed a 4 week dermal exposure to three different TiO2 particles (uncoated submicron-sized, uncoated nano-sized and coated nano-sized) in 5 % sunscreen formulation with minipigs. They found elevated titanium levels in epidermis, dermis and in inguinal lymph nodes, but not in precapsular and submandibular lymph nodes and in liver. With the energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis the authors confirmed presence of few TiO2 particles in dermis and calculated that uncoated nano-sized TiO2 particles observed in dermis represented only 0.00008 % of the total applied amount of TiO2 particles. Based on the same assumptions used by the authors in their calculations it can be calculated that the total number of particles applied was 1.8 × 1013 /cm2 and of these 1.4 x107/cm2 penetrated. The surface area of skin in humans is around 1.8 m2 and for sun protection the cream is applied over whole body, which would mean that 4 week usage of such cream with 5 % TiO2 would result in penetration of totally 2.6 × 1010 particles. Although Sadrieh et al.concluded that there was no significant penetration of TiO2 NPs through intact normal epidermis, the results are not completely confirmative.
. For example, tariffs imposed on imported titanium products can lead to higher prices for consumers. Similarly, sanctions on titanium-producing countries can disrupt the supply chain and drive up prices.
. Its superior whiteness and brightness make it a preferred choice for achieving impeccable finishes in various products. R5566 also offers good UV resistance, making it suitable for use in outdoor applications where exposure to sunlight is a concern.
Although barium sulfate is almost completely inert, zinc sulfide degrades upon exposure to UV light, leading to darkening of the pigment. The severity of this UV reaction is dependent on a combination of two factors; how much zinc sulfide makes up the pigments formulation, and its total accumulated UV exposure. Depending on these factors Lithopone B301, Lithopone B311 powder itself may vary in shade over time, ranging from pure white all the way to grey or even black. To suppress this effect, a dopant might be used, like small amount of cobalt salts, which would be added to the formulation. This process creates cobalt-doped zinc sulfide. The cobalt salts help to stabilize zinc sulfide so it will not have as severe a reaction to UV exposure.
.
