Tattoo Ink Linked to Cancer Risk

Chemicals in tattoo ink travel in the bloodstream and accumulate in the lymph nodes, a study has found for the first time.

Controversial chemical titanium dioxide, which is added to tattoo ink to create certain colours, even dyes lymph nodes and has previously been linked to cancer, itching, and delayed healing.

Researchers from the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in France used powerful x-rays to identify titanium dioxide and heavy metals present in tattooed skin and lymph node tissue samples.

Microscopic fragments of titanium dioxide were found in the nodes, which could cause them to become swollen.

Bernhard Hesse, author of the report, said:

"We already knew that pigments from tattoos would travel to the lymph nodes because of visual evidence: the lymph nodes become tinted with the colour of the tattoo. It is the response of the body to clean the site of entrance of the tattoo.

"What we didn't know is that they do it in a nano form, which implies that they may not have the same behaviour as the particles at a micro level. And that is the problem: we don't know how nanoparticles react."

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