No. Talc itself is harmless to humans, so it is also added to food, medicine and cosmetics to beautify the color and improve the taste or touch.?
However, as talc is a natural mineral, unfiltered natural talcum powder may contain asbestos, which is a health hazard when inhaled into the lungs and is not suitable for direct use. The European Union now requires all baby products and cosmetics containing talc to use filtered talc to avoid asbestos.
Extended information:
Talc is mainly composed of magnesium silicate of talc with water, with the molecular formula Mg3[Si4O10](OH)2. Talc belongs to the monoclinic crystal system. The crystals are pseudo-hexagonal or rhombic flakes, occasionally.
Usually into dense massive, bladed, radial, fibrous aggregates. Colorless and transparent or white, but light green, light yellow, light brown or even light red due to a few impurities; pearly luster on the cleavage surface. Hardness 1, specific gravity 2.7 ~ 2.8.
Talc has excellent physical and chemical properties such as lubricity, anti-adhesion, flow-assisting, refractory, acid resistance, insulating, high melting point, chemical inactivity, good coverage, soft, glossy, strong adsorption, etc., due to the crystalline structure of talc is layered, so it has the tendency to split into scales easily and a special smoothness, and if the content of Fe2O3 is very high, it will reduce the luster. If the content of Fe2O3 is very high, it will reduce its insulating properties.
Talc is soft, its Moh's hardness coefficient of 1 ~ 1.5, there is a slippery feeling, {001} the solution is very complete, very easy to split into flakes, the natural angle of repose is small (35 ° ~ 40 °), extremely unstable, the surrounding rock for the silica and slippery petrochemical magnesite, magnesia rock, poor or dolomitic marble.
Except for a few moderately solid, generally unstable, joints and fissures are developed, the physical and mechanical properties of the ore and the surrounding rock have a great influence on the mining process.
Use: It is a high-quality filler for the cosmetic industry. Characteristics: It contains a large amount of silicon. It has the effect of blocking infrared rays, so it enhances the sunscreen and anti-infrared performance of cosmetics.
Talc is one of the minerals that is buried underground with serpentine***, which contains asbestos, and thus often contains asbestos in its natural form. The U.S. National Toxicology Program and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) do not classify talc as a known or probable carcinogen, so there is no way to say that asbestos in talc causes cancer.
The American College of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) also classified talc as "not classifiable as a human carcinogen". Talc-based talcum powder is still used in the United States. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), "asbestos-containing talc" is classified as a carcinogen.
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