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Nanoparticles
Scientists call for national standards program to monitor effects on health
By Sarah Whyte
Scientists are calling for a national standards body to monitor the safety of nanomaterials — the tiny materials found in everything from the icing on a cake to make-up.
Key points:
· Nanoparticles are engineered particles 1,000 times smaller than the width of human hair
· Scientists particularly concerned about the use of the nanoparticle titanium dioxide
· Can be found in anything from make-up to everyday food products, like mayonnaise
Some European countries have banned the use of certain nanoparticles, and a University of Sydney team has said better regulations are needed.
They said there was not a good understanding of how the particles could be affecting people's health and the environment.
What contains nanomaterials?
You might not know it, but you could be carrying nanoparticles around right now.
"Lipstick is a very good example; typically there is a large number of nanoparticles because they produce very nice aesthetic finish to your lips," Sydney University senior lecturer Dr Wojtek Chrzanowski said.
Nanoparticles are engineered particles that are 1,000 times smaller than the width of human hair.
Dr Chrzanowski said the science of nanoparticles has developed much faster than regulators could keep up with.
He said of particular concern was the use of the nanoparticle titanium dioxide (TiO2), which can be found in many foods — from chewing gum to the icing on cakes.
Dr Chrzanowski said a nano safety Australia program needed to be established, which could combine different universities and institutions to monitor the safety of those nanomaterials.
He said there was simply not enough information on how nanoparticles were affecting people, even though some have positive benefits.
"In cancer therapies some of the drugs are actually delivered with nanoparticles and it makes the therapy much more effective," Dr Chrzanowski said.
"Whether there is actually some negative effect of those particles which we are consuming, not being necessarily really conscious that we are consuming them, and they are very common in food."
How does it impact on health?
Titanium dioxide is a naturally occurring mineral mined from the earth, processed and refined, and added to a variety of food and other consumer products.
It is used as a colour and sheen enhancer in certain foods, as well as being key for food safety applications.
A chicken sandwich for lunch might even contain titanium dioxide — if it has been combined with certain types of mayonnaise.
Dr Laurence Macia, immunologist and senior research fellow at Sydney University, said in terms of the damage that could cause a person, it could potentially change their gut microbiota.
"But again, it's very dynamic. So if it's a one-off, that's OK, but if you ate your mayonnaise every day, that can have a long-term effect," she said.
Dr Macia said adding titanium dioxide to foods was merely aesthetic and had zero nutritional value.
"So we don't add that to our food to increase the power of the food, it's just to make it nicer," she said.
"My question is … how this impacts on our health — so the gut, microbiota and the immune system."
That question could be answered by further research, Dr Macia said.
"We need evidence-based research to know what it's doing, and once we have that we should tell people the maximum they should be eating," she said.
Human body 'barely absorbs it'
Dr Scott Crerar, from Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), said they were very aware of the science behind the use of nanoparticles in food.
"We've strengthened the requirements around manufacturers if they are producing technology-related foods or ingredients. They must apply to FSANZ [for] an assessment of the safety of that food," he said.
Dr Crerar said there have been longstanding studies looking at the adverse effects of titanium dioxide, which he said has been in the food supply for decades.
"It's actually a very inert substance, it doesn't really do much in the body. It's barely absorbed, it would go through the system unchanged essentially," he said.
Sarah Whyte is a reporter for ABC, based in Sydney. Sarah was previously at the 7.30 program and before that worked as immigration reporter in Canberra for Fairfax Media. Sarah has won two joint Walkley awards for her work on Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers and Bangladeshi sweatshops.
Twitter: @sarwhyte Facebook: SarahWhyteJournalist
Twitter: @sarwhyte Facebook: SarahWhyteJournalist
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