Tattoo ink toxins can seep into body
PARIS: Microscopic particles from tattoo ink can migrate into the body and end up in lymph nodes, crucial hubs of the human immune system, a study revealed on Tuesday.
The tiny particles, measuring a few millionths to a few billionths of a centimetre, include molecules from preservatives and contaminants, such as nickel, chromium, manganese and cobalt, researchers reported in the peer-reviewed journal Scientific Reports.
Tattoo colouring is composed of organic and inorganic pigments, and can be contaminated with toxic impurities.
Besides carbon black, the second most common ingredient in tatoo inks is titanium dioxide, a white pigment also used in food additive, sunscreen and paint.
The chemical has been associated with delayed healing, itching and skin irritation.
“When someone wants a tattoo, they are careful in choosing a parlour where they use sterile needles,” said co-author Hiram Castillo, a researcher at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble, France.
“No one checks the chemical composition of colours, but our study shows maybe they should.”
Scientists in Grenoble joined by colleagues at the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment in Berlin, used X-ray fluorescence measurements to identify particles in the skin and lymph nodes located in the neck, underarms and along the crease between the thigh and abdomen. Only the tiniest, nano-scale particles made it into the lymph nodes.
Once a rarity outside marginal communities, tattoos have become mainstream fashion accessories in recent years. Some 40 per cent of millennials in the United States have at least one tat, hidden or on display. AFP