This Danish EPA project mapped nano anatase titanium dioxide in sunscreens and photocatalytic paints and reviewed its toxicity. More than 30 sunscreen brands were on the Danish market, with a trend away from titanium dioxide towards chemical filters among Danish producers. An expert tested seven titanium dioxide sunscreens and found that two used anatase as the primary crystal form and the rest pure rutile; the anatase-based products were more photocatalytic.
Key numbers
- Seven sunscreens tested for crystal form; two primarily anatase, five pure rutile (PDF pp. 7-8).
- Uncoated anatase pigments retain about 0.3 % niobium pentoxide and 0.3 % phosphorus pentoxide from the ore and 0.2 % alumina added in manufacture; food specifications require at least 99.0 % purity (PDF p. 26, citing IARC 2010 and Kuznesof 2006).
No lead, cadmium, arsenic or mercury values are reported.
Methods (brief)
Market survey by questionnaire to companies and an expert, and a literature review of toxicity. Crystal-form testing method and product identities are not tabulated.
Evidence fitness
Relevant to the EU Annex VI condition that nano titanium dioxide be rutile or rutile with up to 5 % anatase. It provides no heavy-metal data.
Limitations
Seven products, method not reported, Danish market only, no infant products identified.
Related evidence
- Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on cosmetic products (recast)
- Opinion on Titanium Dioxide (nano form), COLIPA S 75 (SCCS/1516/13)
- Titanium
Update history
The five most recent substantive edits to this page, classified major (evidence or structure moved), correction (a published value or statement was wrong and has been fixed), or minor (narrative rewritten without changing the underlying evidence). Each description is derived from what the edit did to this page; the linked commit is the authoritative record, routine regeneration passes are excluded, and the full version history lives in git.
| Commit | Date | Change | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 798aec225d | 2026-11-06 | major | 2 sources added; 6 sections added; narrative text revised |
| db716d13d5 | 2026-11-04 | major | 2 sources added; 6 sections added; narrative text revised |
| 49384c8e11 | 2026-11-04 | major | 2 sources added; 6 sections added; narrative text revised |
| 59239f2c06 | 2026-11-04 | major | 2 sources added; 6 sections added; narrative text revised |