Study Finds 90% of Tattoo Inks Contain Unlisted Additives, Pigments

Source: New York Almanack /image: Pixabay/Author: Editorial Staff

As tattoos continue to rise in popularity (more than 100 million people are estimated to have a tattoo), the demand for tattoo ink has surged. Historically, tattoo inks have been under-regulated.

A new study, “What’s in my ink: An analysis of commercial tattoo ink on the U.S. market,” by Binghamton University chemistry department members Kelli Moseman, Ahshabibi Ahmed, Alexander Ruhren, and John R. Swierk has been published in the journal Analytical Chemistry.

The study analyzes inks from nine different brands that are common in the United States, ranging from major to small manufacturers. Out of 54 inks, 45 (90%) contained unlisted additives and/or pigments.

Major, unlisted adulterants include polyethylene glycol, which can cause organ damage through repeated exposure; propylene glycol, a potential allergen; and higher alkanes. Among the substances found was 2-phenoxyethanol, which poses potential health risks to nursing infants.

Allergic reactions are the most common negative outcome of new tattoos, according to the the researchers, which said that they can be persistent, painful and even disfiguring. Red pigments are known to be a particular problem, although it’s not yet understood why.

In 2013, researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York found that about 6% of people who got a tattoo have experienced tattoo-related rash, severe itching or swelling that has lasted more than four months and for some, many years.

In Europe, regulators have long worried that tattoo inks may be repurposed from the car paint, plastics, and textile dyes.

In 2016, the Joint Research Centre (JRC), which provides independent scientific advice to the European Commission, reported that from 2005 to 2015 chemical ingredients were the primary concern in 95% of the 126 tattoo ink cases reported to the EU’s rapid alert system for dangerous products. Inks imported from the U.S. were responsible for two-thirds those alerts.

A 2020 Swedish study of 36,000 adults between the age of 20 and 60 with tattoos, found 9,000 had either skin cancer (malignant melanoma or squamous cell carcinoma) or lymphoma.

“We’re hoping the manufacturers take this as an opportunity to reevaluate their processes, and that artists and clients take this as an opportunity to push for better labeling and manufacturing,” Swierk told BingU News.

In 2022 the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act was passed, which allowed the federal Food and Drug Administration to regulate tattoo inks for the first time.

You can read more about the latest study here.

Photo: A woman with tattoos (courtesy Pixabay).