23 of the 56 substances used, they contain are harmful to humans – Pigments are controlled as cosmetics in the USA – Ban on two inks decided in January by the European Union
Tattoos are trendy, they make us more… badass and… evil, but they can also… kill us! Major research in the US has highlighted the chemicals from which the inks used by tattoo artists, in order to paint our skin. The chemicals pass into our bodies and can cause cancer, its researchers report State University of New York at Birmingham, who analyzed 56 popular inks frequently used by American tattoo artists. As revealed, 23 of these inks are dangerous to humans.
“Very little is actually known about the composition of tattoo inks, so we started analyzing popular brands,” said the study’s lead author John Swierk in a statement following the fall meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
“The big companies make pigments for everything, like paints and fabrics. These same pigments are used in tattoo inks,” he added.
The news is sure to alarm the more than 100 million Americans who have at least one tattoo, while many more are tattooed around the globe.
Despite their popularity, tattoos are regulated as a cosmetic product in the US, meaning that, in most cases, the ingredients do not need to be approved by the FDA before use.
On the contrary, European Union banned two commonly used green and blue inks in January this year after regulators claimed they contained dangerous chemicals. Tattoo inks contain two parts: a pigment and a solvent.
The dye may be a molecular compound such as a blue dye or a solid compound such as titanium dioxide. The solvent carrier on the other hand, transports the pigment to the middle layer of the skin.
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