Contaminants from tattoo ink can end up in lymph nodes, study suggests

Microscopic particles released in tattoo ink could migrate into the body and get lodged in the lymph nodes, a new study has found.

Miniscule chemical particles from contaminants such as nickel, chromium, manganese and cobalt were found to be in the lymph tissues of tattooed individuals, researchers reported in the peer-reviewed journal Scientific Reports.

The scientists used X-rays to track the nanoparticles - which are just a few millionths to a few billionths of a centimeter in size.

Study author Hiram Castillo from the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in France, said: "When someone wants to get a tattoo, they are often very careful in choosing a parlour where they use sterile needles that haven’t been used previously.

"No one checks the chemical composition of the colours, but our study shows that maybe they should."

As well as carbon black, a common ingredient used in tattoo inks is titanium dioxide, which is added to to tattoo ink to create certain colours. This mineral can be found in many products, ranging from paint to food to cosmetics.

Titanium dioxide has become controversial in recent years, although it is one of the top 50 chemicals produced worldwide. Previous research by the International Agency for Research on Cancer found inhaling titanium dioxide could cause health implications.

The researchers believe the titanium dioxide particles in tattoo ink may be transported to the lymph nodes by the blood or engulfed by immune cells that subsequently deposit them.

Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped glands throughout the body. They are part of the lymph system, which carries fluid, nutrients, and waste material between the body tissues and the bloodstream.

The system is an important part of the immune system, the body's defense system against disease.

When lymph nodes are blocked, it causes them to become swollen and therefore hinder their ability to fight infections.

Study author Bernhard Hesse 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."

The researchers also used a technique to transform infrared spectroscopy to assess the behaviour of tissue near tattoo particles.

They reported “strong evidence” for long-term deposit of toxic elements in the body.

The researchers are now looking into evidence of adverse effects from tattoo ink.