Scientists Explore Tattoo Ink Chemistry Amid Growing Safety Concerns

Scientists found that ingredient labels for tattoo inks are often inaccurate and that some inks contain nanoscale particles that could harm human cells. Kymberlie Dozois Photography/Getty Images </figure><p>Scientists at Binghamton University (State University of New York) analyzed nearly 100 different tattoo inks and found that manufacturers' ingredient labels (when used ) are often inaccurate and that many inks contain small nanoscale particles that could be harmful to human cells. They presented their findings at this week's meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in Chicago.</p> <p>According to lead researcher John Swierk, a chemist at Binghamton, the project began when his group became interested in tattoos as medical diagnostic tools. This shifted to an interest in laser tattoo removal, specifically how laser light causes tattoos to fade.

That meant learning more about the chemical composition of tattoo inks, which is also not well understood. One of the reasons for this significant gap in scientific understanding is that in the United States, at least, manufacturers of tattoo inks are not required to disclose ingredients, and even when they do, there is no there is no real check on whether these disclosures are correct, per Swierk.

Typical tattoo ink contains one or more pigments (which give the ink its color) in a "carrier package" to help deliver the pigments to the skin. The pigments are the same as those used in paints and textiles. These can be small pieces of solids or discrete molecules, such as titanium dioxide or iron oxide (for white or rusty brown colors, respectively). When it comes to carrier wraps, most ink manufacturers use grit or rubbing alcohol, sometimes with a little witch hazel added to the mix to help the skin heal after the tattoo process. There may also be other additives to adjust the viscosity and keep the pigment particles in suspension in the carrier package.

The European Union recently cracked down on blue and green pigments used in tattoo inks. Enlarge / The European Union recently cracked down on blue and green pigments used in tattoo inks. justtscott/Getty images

First, the team interviewed several tattoo artists and found that while the artists had their favorite brands, they knew very little about the chemical composition of their favorite inks. Next, Swierk's lab used a variety of methods to analyze a wide range of commonly used tattoo inks, including Raman spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and electron microscopy. This allowed them to identify specific pigments and other ingredients in the different inks.

They found that many ingredients did not appear on manufacturers' labels, such as ink containing ethanol even though it was not listed on the label. And 23 of the inks analyzed so far show evidence of an azo-containing dye. These pigments are generally inert, but exposure to bacteria or UV light can degrade them into a nitrogen-based compound that can cause cancer.

Furthermore, says Swierk, "Often the particle sizes used in tattoo inks are very small, less than 100 nanometers in diameter. When you get to that size regime, you start to worry. .

  Technology   Aug 26, 2022   0   71  Add to Reading List
Scientists Explore Tattoo Ink Chemistry Amid Growing Safety Concerns
Scientists found that ingredient labels for tattoo inks are often inaccurate and that some inks contain nanoscale particles that could harm human cells. Kymberlie Dozois Photography/Getty Images </figure><p>Scientists at Binghamton University (State University of New York) analyzed nearly 100 different tattoo inks and found that manufacturers' ingredient labels (when used ) are often inaccurate and that many inks contain small nanoscale particles that could be harmful to human cells. They presented their findings at this week's meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in Chicago.</p> <p>According to lead researcher John Swierk, a chemist at Binghamton, the project began when his group became interested in tattoos as medical diagnostic tools. This shifted to an interest in laser tattoo removal, specifically how laser light causes tattoos to fade.

That meant learning more about the chemical composition of tattoo inks, which is also not well understood. One of the reasons for this significant gap in scientific understanding is that in the United States, at least, manufacturers of tattoo inks are not required to disclose ingredients, and even when they do, there is no there is no real check on whether these disclosures are correct, per Swierk.

Typical tattoo ink contains one or more pigments (which give the ink its color) in a "carrier package" to help deliver the pigments to the skin. The pigments are the same as those used in paints and textiles. These can be small pieces of solids or discrete molecules, such as titanium dioxide or iron oxide (for white or rusty brown colors, respectively). When it comes to carrier wraps, most ink manufacturers use grit or rubbing alcohol, sometimes with a little witch hazel added to the mix to help the skin heal after the tattoo process. There may also be other additives to adjust the viscosity and keep the pigment particles in suspension in the carrier package.

The European Union recently cracked down on blue and green pigments used in tattoo inks. Enlarge / The European Union recently cracked down on blue and green pigments used in tattoo inks. justtscott/Getty images

First, the team interviewed several tattoo artists and found that while the artists had their favorite brands, they knew very little about the chemical composition of their favorite inks. Next, Swierk's lab used a variety of methods to analyze a wide range of commonly used tattoo inks, including Raman spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and electron microscopy. This allowed them to identify specific pigments and other ingredients in the different inks.

They found that many ingredients did not appear on manufacturers' labels, such as ink containing ethanol even though it was not listed on the label. And 23 of the inks analyzed so far show evidence of an azo-containing dye. These pigments are generally inert, but exposure to bacteria or UV light can degrade them into a nitrogen-based compound that can cause cancer.

Furthermore, says Swierk, "Often the particle sizes used in tattoo inks are very small, less than 100 nanometers in diameter. When you get to that size regime, you start to worry. .

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