The titanium dioxide TiO2

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Where can you find this titanium dioxide:

 Under the name E71, it can be found in many preparations for food supplements, medicines, chewing gums, sweets, cosmetics and dyes, as well as in DrCaps for the pharmaceutical industry. It gives the product a white color.

 

What is it’s role:

It absorbs UV rays and gives a white tint. It also gives the product thermal stability.

 

How and where is TiO2 obtained:

The main natural source of titanium dioxide is mined ilmenite ore, which contains between 45 and 60% TiO2. (2) One of the quarries (QMM RIO TINTO) is located in Fort Dauphin (Madagascar).

 

In food:

“… ANSES issued a specific opinion on an oral toxicity study of E171 in 2017 (known as the NANOGUT study, conducted by INRA; Bettini et al., 2016). This study showed that chronic oral exposure of rats to the additive E 171 would likely cause precancerous colorectal lesions……” (1)

 

By inhalation :

 “……TiO2 can cause malignant tumors in rats after inhalation. Sufficient evidence allows TiO2 to be considered a proven carcinogen in animals given the experimental data. In humans, the carcinogenic nature remains controversial due to the methodological limitations of the available epidemiological studies. These studies can therefore not be used as confirmation, but also not prove the opposite.

 

CATASTROPHIC SITUATION IN SOUTHERN MADAGASCAR:

Immediately after the establishment of the QMM factory (owned 80% by Rio Tinto and 20% by the Malagasy state), the farmers complained that the dust from mineral mining settled on the pastures and was killing the animals that grazed there. Recently, fishermen have accused QMM of polluting the water and thereby poisoning fish, but QMM denies any responsibility. (3)

 

(1) https://www.anses.fr/fr/content/dioxyde-de-titane

(2)https://tdma.info/fr/quest-ce-que-le-dioxyde-de-titane

(3) https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/reunion/madagascar-la-qmm-nie-toute-pollution-et-responsabilite-dans-la-mort-des-poissons-1284844.html

 

 

 

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