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Sep 15, 2023

Your Tattoo Ink May Contain Cancer

A new study has raised concerns that several tattoo ink varieties contain

A new study has raised concerns that several tattoo ink varieties contain chemicals that could harm human health. In the study, presented at the American Chemical Society's fall meeting, researchers examined around 100 tattoo inks currently in use. They discovered that several inks included substances that weren't listed on the ingredient list and at nanoparticle sizes thought to be dangerous.

John Swierk, the lead researcher on the new study from Binghamton University, said:

"The idea for this project initially came about because I was interested in what happens when laser light is used to remove tattoos. But then I realized that very little about tattoo ink composition is known, so we started analyzing popular brands. But then I realized that very little is actually known about the composition of tattoo inks, so we started analyzing popular brands."

According to the Food and Drug Administration, tattoos are considered cosmetics in the United States. This implies that the FDA does not need to approve the inks being used, and there are no laws requiring tattoo ink manufacturers to declare the ingredients.

During their investigation, Swierk and his colleagues quickly discovered that most tattoo artists were unaware of the exact ingredients in the inks they were using. In addition, it was found that many of the companies making the inks also make pigments for textiles and paints. So, the question remains: Were the chemicals used in commercial paint also used in tattoo pigments?

The researchers wanted to determine precisely what was in these tattoo inks. To achieve this, they used Raman and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy methods. Around 100 tattoo inks were examined during this initial study round, and Swierk claimed that practically every ink they looked at presented surprises. "Every time we looked at one of the inks, we found something that gave me pause. For example, 23 of 56 different inks analyzed to date suggest an azo-containing dye is present," said Swierk.

Azo pigments are synthetic dyes used in various commercial items, including carpets and textiles, and are typically considered harmless. Some food products may also contain some types of azo dyes and don't cause health concerns. However, these pigments can break down into nitrogen-based compounds known to be carcinogenic when exposed to ultraviolet light or bacteria.

A second examination of 16 inks found that about half of the substances contained nanoparticles with a diameter smaller than 100 nanometers. In addition, a 2017 study revealed that microscopic nanoparticles from tattoo ink could make their way to a person's lymph nodes, suggesting that particles this small are significantly more prone to move to other parts of the body. "That's a concerning size range. Particles of this size can get through the cell membrane and potentially cause harm," added Swierk.

While this research on tattoo ink is still in its early phases, the researchers have created a website called "What's In My Ink," intending to catalog the ingredients of several tattoo inks sold commercially. Unfortunately, only a few inks are currently offered on the website. However, this most recent data will be added to the website after it has undergone peer review and been published in the journal.