Labels on bottles of ink used for tattoos are unreliable, according to a U.S. study that found major discrepancies with the labeled contents in the majority of commercial products.
Forty-five of 54 bottles available commercially, or 90%, had issues such as different pigments than the ones listed or unlisted additives, researchers reported in Analytical Chemistry.
More than half contained unlisted polyethylene glycol, which can cause organ damage through repeated exposure, researchers warned, while 15 contained propylene glycol, a potential allergen.
The ink bottles were the products of nine U.S. manufacturers, ranging from major global companies to smaller producers.
The study focused only on substances present at 2,000 parts per million (ppm) or more, considered “high concentration” in the United States.
In Europe, tattoo inks are subject to far stricter regulations, so regulators there might have found more potentially problematic substances. The U.S. research team noted that there could be more substances in the inks than the ones the lab found.
Research into the safety of tattoos is lacking, study leader John Swierk of Binghamton University in New York said in a statement. Allergic reactions are the most common adverse effect, he said.
His team does not know whether unlisted ingredients were added intentionally.
“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 said.
This newsletter was edited by Bill Berkrot.
