Tattoo ink brimming with cancer causing, toxic chemicals.

[snagglepuss]

Recently published studies have found that the inks can contain a host of dodgy substances, including some phthalates, metals, and hydrocarbons that are carcinogens and endocrine disruptors.

One chemical commonly used to make black tattoo ink called benzo(a)pyrene is known to be a potent carcinogen that causes skin cancer in animal tests.

Coloured inks often contain lead, cadmium, chromium, nickel, titanium and other heavy metals that could trigger allergies or diseases, scientists say.

Some pigments are industrial grade dyes 'suitable for printers' ink or automobile paint,' according to an FDA fact sheet.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2032696/Now-tattoos-cancer-U-S-regulator-probes-fears-inks-contain-carcinogenic-chemicals.html#ixzz1Wl7pJW27

[RKP5637]

1. Gross! n/t

[glinda]

2. Dang. Was thinking about a first tattoo. Now I don't think I will get one.

[7wo7rees]

3. Benzopyrene, from Wikipedia

Benzopyrene is a component of pitch. Related pentacyclic aromatic species include picene, benzofluoranthenes, and perylene.<1> Benzopyrenes are problematic because they *intercalate into DNA,* interfering with transcription. They are considered pollutants and carcinogens.

They can be found in coal tar (after a forest fire), after eruption of volcanoes, in cigarette smoke, wood smoke, and in burnt foods such as coffee.

Evidence exists to link benzopyrene to the formation of lung cancer.<2>

Woof.

[TheMadMonk]

4. And yet the inked are not walking festering cancer sores.

AFAIK there are no correlations between increased cancer rates and amount of skin covered.

The inks may well be brimming with carcinogens, but they aren't in a form that the body "sees"/can metabolise.

[GoneOffShore]

5. Ah, the lovely Daily Mail - Almost as good as the Washington Times.

[snagglepuss]

6. Ah yes shooting the messanger. Don't like the DM, there are other sources

on line with the same info about the same study


http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2011/tattoo-inks-face-scrutiny

[GoneOffShore]

7. Thanks for the link - More like shooting the Daily Mail

Which is as sensationalistic and hysterical as a paper can get.

Of course, the question remains: Is there a correlation of cancer clusters and tattooed people?

[SheilaT]

8. It would be interesting for someone

to start a research project that simply collects information on tattoos and various illnesses compared to non-tattooed people.

It would probably be very tricky to separate out any cause and effect, because some people with tattoos also do drugs or smoke a lot, but certainly not all. I'm sure a large enough group of people and good statistical analysis would show something. Don't know what that something would be, but it could be interesting.

[JoeyT]

9. The dyes being industrial grade isn't really a problem.

If they contain something that can be proven to be harmful, that is a problem. Industrial grade dye in and of itself may not be.

[supernova]

10. Not surprising

these are the same materials found in paints: cadmium, titanium especially. Mixing paints made painters' lives very short down through the ages.

[sfpcjock]

11. Those dyes have to be the cheapest, worst junk since coal tar.

They probably are derived from it.