Titanium Dioxide is a Serious Molecule

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Titanium dioxide is a common white pigment used in paint, sunscreen, and food colour. But it is as a photocatalyst that TiO2 is likely to truly throw its weight around. TiO2 can -- in the presence of ultraviolet light (in sunlight) -- break down almost any organic material into CO2 and H2O. As a photocatalyst, TiO2 has the potential to detoxify wastewater, split H2O into hydrogen and oxygen, and generate electricity in the presence of light, among other things. And TiO2 is just about as cheap as dirt so it can be used to control odour in kitty litter.

In Japan, they are using TiO2 to make self-cleaning walls and windows.

Photo-catalysts are substances that mediate chemical reactions and are activated by light energy. When organic matter comes into contact with them, it is oxidized at an increased rate and decomposes into water and carbon dioxide. Walls and windows coated with this property are thus enabled to break down any organic dirt that sticks to them.

...in 2007 ECO-TEX [utilized] a painting technique involving three-layers. The undercoat and pigment are applied as usual, but a third layer of transparent titanium oxide is then applied and fixed. This enables the titanium oxide to be fixed on the surface of the paint, enhancing its cleaning power to repel dirt, its durability, and the design potential of the paint.

According to TOTO, coating the outside walls of an average two-story house with ECO-EX has the same cleaning effect as 15 poplar trees, which are known for their air-purifying properties...The dirt-removing effect of these products greatly reduces the time and cost expended in keeping the outside walls of a building clean. _digitaljournal

As reported previously at Al Fin, clothing that incorporates TiO2 would be essentially self-cleaning in terms of organic dirt and stain. Just expose the clothing to the sun and it will self-clean.

TiO2 is a potent photocatalyst, so you probably would not want to inject it into your blood stream. Who knows what reactions would be catalysed? Who knows? An Xu, Yunfei Chai and Tom K. Hei. They studied the effect of TiO2 in mice.

Conclusions: Our results provided novel information that both TiO2 nanoparticles and C60 were taken up by cells and induced kilo-base pair deletion mutations in a transgenic mouse mutation system. The induction of ONOO [peroxynitrite anions] may be a critical signaling event for nanoparticle genotoxicity. _7thSpace

Since most mutations are not helpful to the organism, we will need to be sure that humans do not breathe TiO2 nanoparticles or otherwise take them into the body in large numbers.