Inks under the skin: a closer look at what's inside tattoo inks

Inks under the skin: a closer look at what’s inside tattoo inks

A study revealed that 90% of tattoo inks analyzed contained undeclared substances, including phenoxyethanol, antibiotics and potential allergens

©Shutterstock/Olena Yakobchuk

Recent research conducted in the United States has sent shockwaves through tattoo enthusiasts across the country, revealing startling findings about the composition of tattoo inks. The study, undertaken by Binghamton University and published in the journal Analytical Chemistry, raises significant safety concerns regarding the chemicals present in these inks.

The study’s alarming findings

The research team examined 54 ink samples from nine U.S. manufacturers, encompassing a variety of colors and originating from both large companies and smaller producers. Astonishingly, 90% of the inks tested were found to contain undeclared substances. No substantial differences were observed from one brand to another, with a majority of the products containing additives and/or pigments not listed on their labels (45 out of 54 inks).

Among the undisclosed substances discovered were phenoxyethanol, a potential endocrine disruptor, and even an antibiotic commonly used to treat urinary tract infections. More than half of the inks analyzed contained polyethylene glycols, substances linked to possible organ damage through repeated exposure. Propylene glycols, a potential allergen, were also found in the inks.

The study highlighted that:

“Many of the adulterants pose possible allergic or other health risks. Collectively, these findings indicate the potential for a significant problem related to inaccurate labeling of tattoo inks in the United States.”

Origins of undeclared ingredients

The precise reasons behind the inclusion of undeclared ingredients in tattoo inks remain unclear. Researchers speculate that these substances may have been intentionally added during the ink production process, or that the manufacturers might have received incorrectly labeled or contaminated materials.

This research raises questions about the effectiveness of the tattoo industry’s regulations in the U.S. Notably, tattoo inks were not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration until the end of 2022. Despite the adoption of the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA), it’s evident that more efforts are needed to ensure the safety of tattoo inks.

How does Europe compare?

Unlike the United States, the tattoo industry in Europe is subject to stricter regulations, overseen by the European Chemicals Agency. However, concerns remain about the sufficiency of current controls, especially given the complexity of the production chain and the challenges in ensuring compliance with standards.

A few years ago, a study conducted in France on tattoo inks reached conclusions similar to the U.S. findings. This led to the implementation of strict regulations concerning tattoo inks in Europe.

The need for stricter regulations

Given the permanence of tattoos and the potential health risks associated with ink ingredients, there is a clear need for increased vigilance and regulation in both the United States and Europe. Consumer safety should be the top priority, and regulatory bodies must be prepared to enforce stricter measures to ensure transparency and compliance of ingredients in tattoo inks.

Source: Analytical Chemistry

The article draws upon studies published and recommendations from international institutions and/or experts. We do not make claims in the medical-scientific field and report the facts as they are. Sources are indicated at the end of each article.

Women vs men: Stanford scientists have finally understood the key differences in the brain

According to a recent study, artificial intelligence can identify when brain scans come from a woman or a man. An important discovery for finding a solution to certain neuropsychiatric conditions

Researchers at Stanford Medicine have recently unveiled a groundbreaking artificial intelligence model that can distinguish whether brain activity scans come from a woman or a man with more than 90% accuracy. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, this study not only contributes to the long-standing debate on the existence of sexual differences in the human brain but also emphasizes the importance of understanding these differences for addressing neuropsychiatric conditions that disproportionately affect women and children.

Key motivation for the study

The underlying motivation for this research stems from the critical role that sex plays in brain development, aging, and the manifestation of psychiatric and neurological disorders. Identifying consistent and replicable sexual differences in the healthy adult brain is essential for a deeper understanding of sex-specific vulnerabilities in psychiatric and neurological disorders.

The “hotspots” that significantly aided the AI model in distinguishing male from female brains include the default mode network, involved in processing self-referential information, and the striatum and limbic network, which are crucial for learning and response to rewards.

Unveiling brain differences

The extent to which an individual’s sex influences the organization and functioning of their brain has been a controversial topic among scientists. While the sexual chromosomes we are born with determine the hormone cocktail our brains are exposed to during key developmental stages, researchers have struggled to link sex to concrete differences in the human brain. Traditional studies failed to provide consistent brain markers of sex, as brain structures tend to look similar in men and women, and previous research into how brain regions work together was inconclusive.

Leveraging recent advancements in artificial intelligence and access to large datasets, Menon and his team developed a deep neural network model that surpasses previous studies in classifying brain imaging data. This model’s superior performance is partly due to its analysis of dynamic MRI scans, capturing the intricate interaction between different brain regions.

Tested on approximately 1,500 brain scans, the model could almost always accurately determine the sex of the brain being scanned, offering compelling evidence that sex-based differences in the brain exist but were not reliably detected before.

Potential applications and cognitive performance models

The success of this AI model opens the door to a wide range of applications. Researchers can now explore brain differences related to learning disorders or social functioning differences, aiming to better understand and help individuals overcome these challenges. Additionally, the team developed sex-specific models for predicting cognitive task performance, finding that functional brain characteristics varying between sexes have significant behavioral implications.

These findings underscore the vast applicability of artificial intelligence in uncovering and understanding the subtle yet significant differences in brain organization and function between sexes, potentially revolutionizing the approach to diagnosing and treating neuropsychiatric disorders.

Source: PNAS