Nanotechnology and Sun Screens
11 June 2007Sunscreens on the market today employ either zinc oxide or titanium oxide to create a barrier of protection against the sun’s harsh rays. This is to protect against sun cancer, although to date there is no concrete evidence that sunscreens prevent skin cancer.
The two most common kinds of skin cancers are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Basal cell carcinoma is characterized by a tumor or abnormal growth in the basal cells, the lowest region of the epidermis. This form of cancer can be treated easily when detected soon enough. Squamous cell carcinoma is another more common form of skin cancer, and it affects the upper layer of the skin. People who spend a lot of time in the sun are at risk for either of these diseases, and so resort to sun screens in the hopes of getting protection. Unfortunately, sun screens have the side effect of creating an ungainly white tinge on the skin, and this is where Nanotechnology comes in.
Nanotechnology is seen as an aid in developing sun screens that do not create the familiar white tinge so common to sun screen lotions. Zinc Oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) are the substances in sunscreen most responsible for creating this undesirable tinge. By using nanoparticle equivalents for these two substances, the lotion becomes less visible. Unfortunately, there are potentially hazardous side effects from using these nanoparticles, which are still being researched.
Current research suggests that the nanoparticles in the sun screens can cause the creation of free radicals. Other studies suggest this is not a risk factor so long as the nanoparticles do not penetrate too deeply to reach the living cells. The bulk of the data seem to indicate the current screens using the nanoparticles remain on the surface of the skin cells and do not penetrate too deeply. As with all things Nanotechnology, it’s still too soon to make any definite determination and further research will be needed.
Unfortunately, in the United States sun screen manufacturers are not under stringent labeling requirements for their products, and so it is difficult to tell how much of the lotion is constituted by nanoparticles. Consumers will have to become informed and exercise diligence as they decide to spend longer hours in the sun.
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