In exhaled breath condensate (EBC) of 22 office employees occupationally exposed to TiO2 during their visit in the production workshops for average 14+-9 min/day a panel of biomarkers of nucleic acids and proteins oxidation was studied, examination was performed also in 14 comparable controls. Significant association was found between their job and markers of oxidation (in multivariate analysis.
This study suggests that even short nanoTiO2 exposure may lead to pulmonary oxidative stress; however this effect may be short-term and reversible.