Detection of titanium particles in human liver and spleen and possible health implications.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is produced at high volumes and applied in many consumer and food products. Recent toxicokinetic modelling indicated the potential of TiO2 to accumulate in human liver and spleen upon daily oral exposure, which is not routinely investigated in chronic animal studies. A health risk from nanosized TiO2 particle consumption could not be excluded then. RESULTS:Here we show the first quantification of both total titanium (Ti) and TiO2 particles in 15 post-mortem human livers and spleens. These low-level analyses were enabled by the use of fully validated (single particle) inductively coupled plasma high resolution mass spectrometry ((sp)ICP-HRMS) detection methods for total Ti and TiO2 particles. The presence of TiO2 in the particles in tissues was confirmed by Scanning Electron Microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. CONCLUSIONS:These results prove that TiO2 particles are present in human liver and spleen, with ?24% of nanosize (

SUBMITTER: Heringa MB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5896156 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature