Various research gathered together in an article published by Environmental Health News has revealed potentially dangerous chemicals have been found in tattoo inks. Since the fashion for tattoos does not seem to be abating – more than 45 million Americans have tattoos – the contents of tattoo inks, which are applied into the skin, are of some concern. Getting a tattoo risks infection, scarring, and allergic reactions, not to mention the possibility of ‘growing out’ of it – but that is now all seemingly tame compared to what has been found in the inks themselves.
Some of the substances found in tattoo inks are phthalates, metals and hydrocarbons that are carcinogens and endocrine disruptors. Benzo(a)pyrene, found in black inks, has been found to cause skin cancer in laboratory tests. This coincides with dermatologists' reports finding melanomas and malignant tumours in tattoos (1).
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have commissioned research into the long-term safety of the inks, which have been found to migrate into the lymph nodes.
Heavy metals such as lead were found in 17 different black inks. Lead can disrupt the reproductive and nervous systems. Coloured inks have been found to contain lead, cadmium, chromium, nickel, titanium and other heavy metals, which can cause allergies (2).
It remains to be seen exactly what role tattoo inks play in cancer, and a French study (3) in the journal Dermatology is looking into tattoos as a traumatic skin site cause of cancers.
Source 1: Melanoma Research
Source 2: The Science of the Total Environment
Source 3: Dermatology
Main source: Environmental Health News
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