Yahoo – AFP,
September 12, 2017
A tattoo artist works during the second Expo-Tattoo in San Salvador, on September 2, 2017 (AFP Photo/MARVIN RECINOS) |
Paris (AFP)
- Microscopic particles from tattoo ink can migrate into the body and wind up
in lymph nodes, crucial hubs of the human immune system, a study revealed
Tuesday.
The tiny
particles -- measuring a few millionths to a few billionths of a centimetre --
include molecules from preservatives and contaminants such as nickel, chromium,
manganese and cobalt, researchers reported in the peer-reviewed journal
Scientific Reports.
Tattoo
colouring is composed of various organic and inorganic pigments, and can be
contaminated with toxic impurities.
Besides
carbon black, the second most common ingredient used in tatoo inks is titanium
dioxide, a white pigment also used in food additives, sun screens and paints.
The
chemical has been associated with delayed healing, itching and skin irritation.
"When
someone wants to get a tattoo, they are often vary careful in choosing a
parlour where they use sterile needles," said co-author Hiram Castillo, a
researcher at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble, France.
"No
one checks the chemical composition of the colours, but our study shows that
maybe they should."
Scientists
in Grenoble, joined by colleagues at the German Federal Institute for Risk
Assessment in Berlin, used X-ray fluorescence measurements to identify
particles in the skin and the lymph nodes, which are located in the neck, under
the arms and along the crease between the thighs and the abdomen.
Only the
tiniest, nano-scale particles made it into the lymph nodes.
The
researchers also used a technique called Fourier transform infrared
spectroscopy to assess changes in tissue near tattoo particles at the molecular
level.
They
reported "strong evidence" for both the migration and long-term
deposit of toxic elements in the body.
Now that
their presence has been established, the next step is to look for evidence of
adverse effects, including inflammation, they said.
Once a
rarity outside of marginal communities, tattoos have become mainstream fashion
accessories in recent years.
By one
estimate, some 40 percent of Millennials in the United States have at least one
tat, hidden or on display.
Microscopic particles from tattoo ink can migrate into the body and wind up in lymph nodes https://t.co/KmqZgzuJxt pic.twitter.com/D4NM9P3eBx— AFP news agency (@AFP) September 12, 2017
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