A Case Study: Nano-sized Titanium Dioxide in Sunscreens

Titanium dioxide (TiO<inf>2</inf>) is often employed in sunscreens as inorganic physical sun blocker. To overcome the cosmetically undesired opaqueness of these sunscreens, microsized TiO<inf>2</inf> has been increasingly replaced by nano-sized TiO<inf>2</inf>. This chapter aims to discuss the effects of nano-sized TiO<inf>2</inf> as sunscreen ingredient on human health against the background of various product life-cycle stages. The case study highlights the current state of knowledge with regard to the consequences for humans of nano-TiO<inf>2</inf> in sunscreens. Areas showing important data gaps are characterized as well. The first section introduces the use of TiO<inf>2</inf> in sunscreens, section two is dedicated to important life-cycles stages of these sun-protective agents, section three subsequently focuses on human exposure to nano-sized TiO<inf>2</inf> while section four characterizes the health effects and factors that influence these effects. The last section evaluates the implications of nano-sized TiO<inf>2</inf> in sunscreens and assesses future studies.

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