title: Black tattoo inks are a source of problematic substances such as dibutyl phthalate.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tattooing has recently become increasingly popular. Using tiny needles, tattooists place the tattoo ink in the dermis along with numerous unknown ingredients. Most tattoos consist of black inks, which are predominantly composed of soot products (carbon black with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Black tattoos cause skin problems, including allergic reactions, but the responsible substance frequently remains unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  We applied gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry analysis to search for hazardous compounds in 14 different commercially available black tattoo ink samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The analysis revealed that all inks contained the softener substance dibutyl phthalate (0.12-691.2 µg/g). Some of the inks contained hexachloro-1,3-butadiene (0.08-4.52 µg/g), metheneamine (0.08-21.64 µg/g), dibenzofuran (0.02-1.62 µg/g), benzophenone (0.26-556.66 µg/g), and 9-fluorenone (0.04-3.04 µg/g).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The sensitizing agent dibutyl phthalate acts directly on keratinocytes and can drive Th2 responses following skin exposure via induction of thymic stromal lymphopoietin gene expression. Hexachloro-1,3-butadiene is genotoxic in vitro and 9-fluorenone is cytotoxic, generating reactive oxygen species under light exposure. The substances found in the inks might be partially responsible for adverse skin reactions to tattoos.
authors: Department of Dermatology, University of Regensburg, 93042 Regensburg, Germany.
authors: Karin
authors: K
authors: Lehner
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: Santarelli
authors: Rudolf
authors: R
authors: Vasold
authors: Burkhard
authors: B
authors: König
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Landthaler
authors: Wolfgang
authors: W
authors: Bäumler
mesh_terms: D001572:Benzofurans / Q000032:analysis; D001577:Benzophenones / Q000032:analysis; D002070:Butadienes / Q000032:analysis; D003993:Dibutyl Phthalate / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D005449:Fluorenes / Q000032:analysis; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D007281:Ink; D008709:Methenamine / Q000032:analysis; D013653:Tattooing / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D001572:Benzofurans; D001577:Benzophenones; D002070:Butadienes; D005449:Fluorenes; D003993:Dibutyl Phthalate; C047723:benzophenone; C023614:dibenzofuran; C028401:9-fluorenone; C001335:hexachlorobutadiene; D008709:Methenamine