The European Commission has decided to classify titanium dioxide powders

On October 4, the European Commission decided to classify titanium dioxide powder (titanium dioxide) as a substance that may cause cancer in humans.

This is the latest development following the expert hearings held by the European Commission last month. At last month's hearing, several EU Member States opposed classifying titanium dioxide as a carcinogen. There were still big differences among member states, but the European Commission finally decided this month as planned.

The regulation will make the market of titanium dioxide powder must be labeled as carcinogen, and this regulation also applies to powder mixtures containing titanium dioxide powder. For liquid mixtures such as paint, ink, etc., precautions and warning signs related to spraying construction shall be pasted on their packages. If no objection is raised by the Commission or the European Parliament within the next two months, the provision will come into force after an 18-month transition period, which is supposed to take effect in the summer of 2021. The classification of titanium dioxide as a carcinogen has been controversial in the industry, and the European Commission has held several meetings to discuss it, but its overall development direction is towards the goal of carcinogen classification. So, how to deal with the titanium dioxide industry and its application?