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Changing the face of plastic surgery in Cape Town- South Africa - Mediscapes
A few years ago, people went to small clinics for extended periods of time in secret, to have their plastic surgery. But, today plastic surgery is simple, safe and so convenient that it can be incorporated into your holiday itinerary.In support of the ...
Feeling Sexy During Pregnancy
Some people think that the word sexy and pregnancy do not belong together. I have to disagree. In fact, I have heard many men say that a woman is her sexiest and most beautiful when she is pregnant!So, how do you go about feeling sexy when your belly is ...
Seeking And Buying Effective Antiaging Products In Today's World
If you are like many women (and not a few men) in the 21 st century, you regularly are on the hunt for effective antiaging products. Each and every week, there literally are a number of different antiaging products being introduced onto the marketplace. ...
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A carcinogen is a substance that causes a cellular malfunction, causing the cell to become cancerous and thus potentially lethal to the surrounding tissue and ultimately the body as these rapidly growing mutated cells take over. With the surge in cancer rates among all segments of the population, many people are attempting to reduce or eliminate their exposure to carcinogens. Titanium dioxide is regarded as an inert, non-toxic substance by many regulatory bodies such as the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets) and others charged with the responsibility of safeguarding the health of occupational workers and public health. The MSDS states that titanium dioxide can cause some lung fibrosis at fifty times the nuisance dust, defined by the US Department of Labor as 15 mg/m cubed (OSHA) or 10 mg/m cubed (ACGIH Threshold Limit Value). The ACGIH states that titanium dioxide is "not classifiable as a human carcinogen". Symptoms of chronic overexposure to titanium dioxide in an industrial setting, according to the MSDS, include a "slight increase in lung tumour incidence in lab rats". It also states "when titanium dioxide was fed to rats/mice in a carcinogen bioassay, it was not carcinogenic". The NIOSH declares that at 5000 mg/m cubed there was slight lung fibrosis, concluding that this substance was carcinogenic in rats.
The NIOSH declaration of carcinogenicity in rats is based on a study by Lee, Trochimowicz & Reinhardt, "Pulmonary Response of Rats Exposed to Titanium Dioxide by Inhalation for Two Years" (1985). The authors of this study found that rats chronically exposed to excessive dust loading of 250 mg/m cubed and impaired clearance mechanisms within the rat, for six hours per day, five days per week for two years, developed slight lung tumours. They also noted that the biological relevance of this data to lung tumours in humans is negligible. It is important to note that rats are known to be an extremely sensitive species for developing tumours in the lungs when overloaded with poorly soluble, low toxicity dust particles. Rat lungs process particles very differently compared to larger mammals such as dogs, primates or humans (Warheit, 2004). This sensitivity in the lungs has not been observed in other rodent species such as mice or hamsters (Warheit, 2004), therefore using the rat model to determine carcinogenicity of titanium dioxide in humans can be misleading, as extrapolation of species-specific data to humans is erroneous.
Many organizations and businesses have perpetuated this assessment of the carcinogenicity of titanium dioxide (ewg.org). However, several studies and study reviews have been used to compile the safety disclaimers for the regulations on the permitted use of titanium dioxide. One such study review took place in Rome, 1969 between the World Health Organization and the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Cross species analyses were performed and reviewed for possible toxicity of titanium dioxide. The conference concluded that among the following species: rats, dogs, guinea pigs, rabbits, cats and human males, ingestion of titanium dioxide at varying diet percentages and over long periods of time did not cause absorption of this mineral. Titanium dioxide particulates were not detected in the blood, liver, kidney or urine and no adverse effects were noted from its ingestion. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (2002) allows for its ingestion, external application including the eye area, and considers it a safe substance for public health. Other epidemiological studies showed that workers exposed to titanium dioxide exhibited no statistically significant relationship between such exposure with lung cancer and respiratory disease, although some cases of pulmonary fibrosis did occur. These studies were conducted in industrial settings where the increased exposure puts these individuals more at risk than the average person.
Titanium dioxide is listed as a safe pigment, with no known adverse effects. It is not listed as a carcinogen, mutagen, teratogen, comedogen, toxin or as a trigger for contact dermatitis in any other safety regulatory publications beside the NIOSH (Antczak, 2001; Physical & Theoretical Chemical Laboratory, Oxford University respectively). It is reasonable to conclude then, that titanium dioxide is not a cancer-causing substance and is generally safe for use in foods, drugs, paints and cosmetics. This does not end the debate, however, as controversy over the safety of one unique form of titanium dioxide still exists.
One form of mineral or mineral extract, including titanium dioxide, that we should be concerned about is ultrafine or nano particles. As technology has advanced, so has its ability to take normal sized particles of minerals and reduce them to sizes never before imagined. While many are praising this new technology, others are warning of its inherent dangers to our bodies. A study by Churg et. al. at the University of British Columbia in their paper "Induction of Fibrogenic Mediators by Fine and Ultrafine Titanium Dioxide in Rat Tracheal Explants" (1999) found that ultrafine particles of the anatase form of titanium dioxide, which are less than 0.1 microns, are pathogenic or disease causing (see Table 1).
Table 1: Measurements of Mineral Pigment Particles
Particle Size
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 Johnson & Johnson to buy Mentor Corp. - Courier-Post
Analysts said J&J is paying "a giant premium" for the maker of MemoryGel breast implants, liposuction equipment and "barrier" skin repair products, with an eye to their long-term value for an aging population. Under the deal, J&J will start a cash ...
Skin care doesn't have to be pricey - Lincoln Journal Star
Face it: You don’t need to spend a small fortune to take care of your skin properly. Instead, try these tips: - Cleanse. Use baby wash as a facial cleanser. It’s inexpensive and quickly removes dirt, oil and makeup without stripping your skin of ...
Soothe your nerves, beat the blues - Business Standard
The ingredients in products for winter skin care seem to get ever-more exotic. Abhilasha Ojha does a sampling. Opening my brand-new bottle of Jwalini oil from Kama (Rs 185 for a 100 ml bottle) this morning, a particularly beneficial application to ...
Now Available at South Shore Skin Center - PR Inside
2008-12-02 06:05:24 - The dermatologists at South Shore Skin Center have recently announced a new laser treatment that specifically treats skin disorders of persistent psoriasis and vitiligo. South Shore Skin Center is one of the most progressive ...
American Cancer Society holding Look Good ... Feel Better event - Sentinel & Enterprise
GARDNER -- The American Cancer Society will hold a Look Good . . . Feel Better seminar on Monday, Dec. 8, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the OBS conference room at Heywood Hospital in Gardner. Preregistration is required. To register, please call 1 ...
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