A recent study stated in nearly half of the US, tattoo ink contains chemicals causing cancer.
As per the New York Post, 23 out of 56 common inks used by American tattoo artists have been identified to have harmful azo compounds by researchers from the State University of New York at Binghamton.
“Very little is known about the chemistry of tattoo inks, so we began examining common brands”, stated the lead author of the study, John Swierk.
He is surprised that no dye manufacturer produces pigment for the tattoo ink. These pigments are made by established companies used in paint and textile, among others. Tattoo inks also contain this pigment.
Tattoo ink contains two components: a pigment and a carrier fluid. The pigment is a solid substance such as titanium dioxide or it may be a molecule such as a blue pigment. The carrier fluid, on the other hand, helps to spread the pigment to the central layer of the skin. To study the chemical components of the pigment, the scientists used methods such as electron microscopy.
In addition, other components were found in the ink that wasn’t indicated on the label besides, the presence of azo-compounds in 23 of the examined pigments.
