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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

 TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE 

CAS#: 7550-45-0 

Division of Toxicology September 1997 

This Public Health Statement is the summary 

chapter from the Toxicological Profile for Titanium 

Tetrachloride. It is one in a series of Public Health 

Statements about hazardous substances and their 

health effects. A shorter version, the ToxFAQsTM, is 

also available. This information is important 

because this substance may harm you. The effects 

of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on 

the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, 

personal traits and habits, and whether other 

chemicals are present. For more information, call 

the ATSDR Information Center at 1-888-422-8737. 

______________________________________ 

This statement was prepared to give you 

information about titanium tetrachloride and to 

emphasize the human health effects that may result 

from exposure to it. 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has 

identified 1,416 hazardous waste sites as the most 

serious in the nation. These sites make up the 

National Priorities List (NPL) and are the sites 

targeted for long-term federal clean-up activities. 

Titanium tetrachloride has not been found in any of 

the sites on the NPL. However, the number of NPL 

sites evaluated for titanium tetrachloride is not 

known. As EPA evaluates more sites, the number of 

sites at which titanium tetrachloride is found may 

change. This information is important because 

exposure to titanium tetrachloride may cause 

harmful health effects. However, since titanium 

tetrachloride breaks down rapidly in the 

environment, it is unlikely that you would be 

exposed to it at disposal sites. 

When a substance is released from a large area, 

such as an industrial plant, or from a container, such 

as a drum or bottle, it enters the environment. This 

release does not always lead to exposure. You can 

be exposed to a substance only when you come in 

contact with it. You may be exposed by breathing, 

eating, or drinking substances containing the 

substance or by skin contact with it. 

If you are exposed to a substance such as titanium 

tetrachloride, many factors will determine whether 

harmful health effects will occur and what the type 

and severity of those health effects will be. These 

factors include the dose (how much), the duration 

(how long), the route or pathway by which you are 

exposed (breathing, eating, drinking, or skin 

contact), the other chemicals to which you are 

exposed, and your individual characteristics such as 

age, sex, nutritional status, family traits, lifestyle, 

and state of health. 

1.1 WHAT IS TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE? 

Titanium tetrachloride is a colorless to pale yellow 

liquid that has fumes with a strong odor. If it comes 

in contact with water, it rapidly forms hydrochloric 

acid, as well as titanium compounds. In 1990, 

approximately 1.5 million tons of titanium 

tetrachloride were produced in the United States. 

Titanium tetrachloride is not found naturally in the 

environment and is made from minerals that contain 

titanium. It is used to make titanium metal and other 

titanium-containing compounds, such as titanium 

dioxide, which is used as a white pigment in paints 

and other products, and as an intermediary to 

produce other chemicals. 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

 TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE 

CAS#: 7550-45-0 

Division of Toxicology September 1997 

1.2 WHAT HAPPENS TO TITANIUM 

TETRACHLORIDE WHEN IT ENTERS 

THE ENVIRONMENT? 

Titanium tetrachloride enters the environment 

primarily as air emissions from facilities that make 

or use it in various chemical processes or as a result 

of spills. If moisture is present in the air, titanium 

tetrachloride reacts with the moisture to form 

hydrochloric acid and other titanium compounds, 

such as titanium hydroxide and titanium 

oxychlorides. The end-products produced when 

titanium tetrachloride reacts with water are titanium 

dioxide and hydrochloric acid. The hydrochloric 

acid may break down or be carried in the air. Some 

of the titanium compounds may settle out to soil or 

water. In water, they sink into the bottom 

sediments. They may remain for a long time in the 

soil or sediments. Some other titanium compounds, 

such as titanium dioxide, are also found in the air 

and water. 

1.3 HOW MIGHT I BE EXPOSED TO 

TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE? 

Titanium tetrachloride has not been found in water, 

soil, food, or air except in the workplace. Because 

titanium tetrachloride breaks down so rapidly in the 

environment, you would probably not be exposed to 

it unless you worked in a facility that made or used 

it, or you were exposed to it as a result of a spill. If 

you work at such a facility, you may breathe in air 

that contains it or breathe fumes of hydrochloric 

acid. You could also breathe in particles of titanium 

dioxide or titanium metal dust. If titanium 

tetrachloride spills, you may get it on your skin. In 

1980, about 2,100 workers may have been exposed 

to titanium tetrachloride in the workplace. Since 

titanium tetrachloride breaks down rapidly in the 

environment, it is unlikely that you would be 

exposed to it at disposal sites. 

No other information has been found on the 

presence of titanium tetrachloride in air, water, soil, 

or foods that would suggest that you may be 

exposed to it from these sources. 

1.4 HOW CAN TITANIUM 

TETRACHLORIDE ENTER AND LEAVE 

MY BODY? 

The fumes from titanium tetrachloride can easily 

enter your body if you breathe air that is 

contaminated with it. In your nose and lungs, these 

fumes may cause burns. Particles that contain 

titanium may remain in your lungs or nearby tissue. 

Titanium tetrachloride and its breakdown products 

do not appear to enter other parts of your body. 

1.5 HOW CAN TITANIUM 

TETRACHLORIDE AFFECT MY 

HEALTH? 

To protect the public from the harmful effects of 

toxic chemicals and to find ways to treat people 

who have been harmed, scientists use many tests. 

One way to see if a chemical will hurt people is to 

learn how the chemical is absorbed, used, and 

released by the body; for some chemicals, animal 

testing may be necessary. Animal testing may also 

be used to identify health effects such as cancer or 

birth defects. Without laboratory animals, scientists 

would lose a basic method to get information 

needed to make wise decisions to protect public 

health. Scientists have the responsibility to treat 

research animals with care and compassion. Laws 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

 TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE 

CAS#: 7550-45-0 

Division of Toxicology September 1997 

today protect the welfare of research animals, and 

scientists must comply with strict animal care 

guidelines. 

Titanium tetrachloride can be very irritating to the 

skin, eyes, mucous membranes, and the lungs. 

Titanium tetrachloride is corrosive because it reacts 

strongly with water to produce hydrochloric acid. 

The reaction products, especially hydrochloric acid, 

cause the harmful health effects and burns that can 

occur after exposure to titanium tetrachloride. 

Breathing in large amounts of titanium tetrachloride 

can injure the lungs seriously enough to cause 

death. We do not know how much of the compound 

is necessary to cause death. After short-term 

exposure to titanium tetrachloride, less serious 

respiratory system effects can include coughing and 

tightness in the chest. More severe effects can 

include chemical bronchitis or pneumonia, and 

congestion of the mucous membranes of the upper 

respiratory tract. These effects can cause long-term 

effects such as the narrowing of the vocal cords, 

windpipe, and upper airways. Although there are no 

data on swallowing titanium tetrachloride, it is 

likely that eating large amounts of this chemical 

could also cause death. 

Accidental exposure to liquid titanium tetrachloride 

can result in skin burns and can cause permanent 

damage to the eyes if they are not protected. 

Some laboratory animals that breathed titanium 

tetrachloride fumes for 2 years developed lung 

tumors of a special type. However, there is no 

evidence that chronic exposure to titanium 

tetrachloride causes cancer in humans. There is not 

enough information to determine if titanium 

tetrachloride causes birth defects or affects 

reproduction. Titanium tetrachloride has not been 

classified for its carcinogenic properties. 

1.6 IS THERE A MEDICAL TEST TO 

DETERMINE WHETHER I HAVE BEEN 

EXPOSED TO TITANIUM 

TETRACHLORIDE? 

There is no medical test to indicate whether you 

have been exposed to titanium tetrachloride. 

However, you can be tested for the presence of 

titanium dioxide or titanium metal, which are 

breakdown products of titanium tetrachloride. This 

test uses electron microscopes to examine lung 

tissue for particles that contain titanium. This test is 

not specific for titanium tetrachloride exposure, but 

it does indicate exposure to some titaniumcontaining substances. Also, the test does not 

indicate whether you may have potential health 

effects resulting from such exposure or the amount 

of titanium compound to which you were exposed. 

1.7 WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS HAS THE 

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MADE TO 

PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH? 

The federal government develops regulations and 

recommendations to protect public health. 

Regulations can be enforced by law. Federal 

agencies that develop regulations for toxic 

substances include the Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA), the Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration (OSHA), and the Food and Drug 

Administration (FDA). Recommendations provide 

valuable guidelines to protect public health but 

cannot be enforced by law. Federal organizations 

that develop recommendations for toxic substances 

include the Agency for Toxic Substances and 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

 TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE 

CAS#: 7550-45-0 

Division of Toxicology September 1997 

Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the National 

Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 

(NIOSH). 

Regulations and recommendations can be expressed 

in not-to-exceed levels in air, water, soil, or food 

that are usually based on levels that affect animals, 

then they are adjusted to help protect people. 

Sometimes these not-to-exceed levels differ among 

federal organizations because of different exposure 

times (an 8-hour workday or a 24-hour day), the use 

of different animal studies, or other factors. 

Recommendations and regulations are also 

periodically updated as more information becomes 

available. For the most current information, check 

with the federal agency or organization that 

provides it. Some regulations and recommendations 

for titanium tetrachloride include the following: 

Releases of more than 1 pound of titanium 

tetrachloride must be reported to EPA. 

Maximum levels have not been established for 

titanium tetrachloride exposure in the workplace. 

1.8 WHERE CAN I GET MORE 

INFORMATION? 

If you have any more questions or concerns, please 

contact your community or state health or 

environmental quality department or: 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

Division of Toxicology 

1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32 

Atlanta, GA 30333 

Information line and technical assistance: 

Phone: 888-422-8737 

FAX: (770)-488-4178 

ATSDR can also tell you the location of 

occupational and environmental health clinics. 

These clinics specialize in recognizing, evaluating, 

and treating illnesses resulting from exposure to 

hazardous substances. 

To order toxicological profiles, contact: 

National Technical Information Service 

5285 Port Royal Road 

Springfield, VA 22161 

Phone: 800-553-6847 or 703-605-6000 

Reference 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

(ATSDR). 1997. Toxicological profile for titanium 

tetrachloride. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services, Public Health Service. 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov