A compelling study published last Tuesday in Nature‘s Scientific Reports has confirmed that tattoo ink nanoparticles dangerously circulate the body. In this groundbreaking study, scientists from the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ERSF) have demonstrated overwhelming evidence for the movement and long-term deposition of toxic elements in tattoo pigments in tissues which lead to inflammation as well as other side effects upon tattooing.
Think before you ink; experts believe there are long-term safety concerns in tattoo inks. Untitled (c) Dan Prado. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Whether it be a daring drunken escapade or a meaningful memento, getting a tattoo in Western societies has long been culturally accepted and not particularly novel. Tattoos have been around for millennia, the earliest artifacts dating to 1200 BC. Due to the recent popularity of tattoos, however, some began to ponder safety concerns of this seemingly innocuous trend.
Concerns for tattoo ink safety are rising.
When it comes to the safety of tattoos, people are generally worried about the sterilization of needles, and rightly so, as infectious diseases like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (widely known as MRSA) and HIV are known to spread through improper sanitation. However, the authors of the study believe that the chemical compounds of the inks pose an equivalent, if not greater risk for customers.
“People should be aware of the unknown risks that might come along with tattooing, rather than presuming that the colours are safe,” explains Ines Schreiver, first author of the study.
Currently, the toxicological data for individual ink ingredients are accessible, but the specific in vivo (Latin for “within the living”) interaction of tattoo compounds with cells are uncertain. So, researchers from the ERSF decided to not only to characterize the specific compounds within the dyes, but also quantify the size range of the molecules and qualify biomolecular changes in the affected tissues.
A key objective of the study was to show that organic dyes, inorganic compounds and metallic elements from tattoo particles were able to translocate from the skin to the lymph nodes in nano form, which means the particles are on the magnitude scale of 10-9 meters. Tissue samples were collected from deceased donors, and photographic evidence from comparing lysed skin and lymph nodes showed that the lymph nodes became tinged with the colour of the tattoo on the skin. Using spectroscopic techniques, the scientists were then able to identify compounds as well as quantify metal content such as Nickel and Chromium, which are linked to carcinogenicity.
Synchrotron X-ray fluorescence measurements allowed the researchers to pinpoint compounds at the micro and nano scale. Most particles detected were found at the micro scale, but the smaller particles on the nano scale had the pesky ability to migrate to the lymph nodes and induce enlargement which can lead to a myriad of other health issues.
If this finding has changed your mind about tattoos, keep an eye out for related studies. The authors of this paper will likely go ‘skin-deep’ in further research.
Frances Gu
