Fact Checkers It's OK to Inhale Nanosized Titanium Dioxide (2022)
The researchers tested the amount of titanium — used as a proxy for titanium dioxide (TiO2) particles — in 12 face masks meant to be worn by the public, including single-use disposable varieties as well as reusable masks. The masks were made of various materials, including synthetic bers like polyester and natural bers, such as cotton.
Every mask contained titanium dioxide particles in at least one layer, a concerning nding since titanium dioxide is a suspected human carcinogen when inhaled.
Rather than warning of its potential health risks, and, as the researchers stated, need for “in depth research of (nano)technology applications in textiles to avoid possible future consequences …” Health Feedback wants you to throw the precautionary principle to the wind and instead believe such warnings are “misleading.”
Fact Checkers Say Nanoparticles in Masks Are Safe
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classi es titanium dioxide as a Group 2B carcinogen, which means it’s “possibly carcinogenic to humans” by inhalation.
The state of California also includes titanium dioxide in the form of airborne particles measuring 10 micrometers or less on its Proposition 65 list, stating, “Titanium dioxide (airborne, unbound particles of respirable size) is on the Proposition 65 list because it can cause cancer. Exposure to titanium dioxide may increase the risk of cancer.”
Despite the fact that titanium dioxide’s carcinogenicity when inhaled is well known, the compound is commonly used in face mask textiles to improve stability to ultraviolet light and for use as a white colorant and matting agent. The Scienti c Reports study also stated, “Although titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a suspected human carcinogen when inhaled, ber-grade TiO2 (nano)particles were demonstrated in synthetic textile bers of face masks intended for the general public.”
According to Health Feedback, however, my article “misrepresents” the Scienti c Reports study, because, “While a Belgian study found titanium dioxide particles in face masks, it didn’t assess whether those particles could be released from the mask and inhaled by the wearer in su cient amounts to cause any adverse effects. Therefore, claims that face masks are unsafe based on this study are unsupported.”
The presence of carcinogenic titanium dioxide particles in face masks, which by design are right next to your mouth and nose for extended periods of time, is cause for concern in itself. That said, other studies have looked into the concentration of TiO2 released from fabrics, nding that the release rate depended on the concentration of nanomaterials in the fabric along with the pH of sweat the fabric was exposed to.