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hubie [soylentnews.org] writes:

Exposing what's in tattoo ink [acs.org]:

From life-like faces to elaborate nature scenes, tattoos are a true art form. Although people have decorated their bodies for millennia for ceremonial and religious reasons, many people today adorn themselves with these images as a form of self-expression. But the inks used for tattoos are unregulated in the U.S., resulting in products whose components are largely a mystery. Now, researchers have analyzed almost 100 inks and report that even when these products include an ingredient label, the lists often aren't accurate. The team also detected small particles that could be harmful to cells.

[...] Swierk and undergraduates in his laboratory interviewed tattoo artists to see what they knew about the inks they use on their customers. The artists could quickly identify a brand they preferred, but they didn't know much about its contents. "Surprisingly, no dye shop makes pigment specific for tattoo ink," Swierk explains. "Big companies manufacture pigments for everything, such as paint and textiles. These same pigments are used in tattoo inks." He also notes that tattoo artists must be licensed in the locales where they operate for safety reasons, yet no federal or local agency regulates the contents of the inks themselves.

[...] "Every time we looked at one of the inks, we found something that gave me pause," Swierk says. "For example, 23 of 56 different inks analyzed to date suggest an azo-containing dye is present." Although many azo pigments do not cause health concerns when they are chemically intact, bacteria or ultraviolet light can degrade them into another nitrogen-based compound that is a potential carcinogen, according to the Joint Research Centre, which provides independent scientific advice to the European Union.

In addition, the team has analyzed 16 inks using electron microscopy, and about half contained particles smaller than 100 nm. "That's a concerning size range," says Swierk. "Particles of this size can get through the cell membrane and potentially cause harm."

After the researchers run a few more tests and have the data peer reviewed, they will add the information to their website "What's in My Ink? [whatsinmyink.com]" "With these data, we want consumers and artists to make informed decisions and understand how accurate the provided information is," says Swierk.

Associated video interview [youtu.be]

Original Submission