Popular tattoo ink used in America to be directly linked to chemicals that cause cancer, new study shows

An frightening new research has connected the creative form of self-expression to a potentially fatal illness, so you may want to hold off on getting new tattoos and be on high alert if you already have tattoos. According to the findings of a recent study, all tattoo ink used in the United States contains cancer-causing substances.

According to @NYPost, fresh study from the State University of New York in Binghamton has discovered a shocking correlation between tattoo ink and cancer. The study indicated that nearly half of all tattoo ink used in the United States may contain chemicals that cause cancer. 23 of 56 prevalent kinds of tattoo ink that are commonly used in the United States were discovered to have potentially dangerous azo-compounds. Over 100 million Americans currently have at least one tattoo.

Although chemically intact, azo-compounds can be degraded by bacteria and/or UV radiation into a carcinogenic or possibly cancer-causing compound.

Following a recent conference with the American Chemical Society, the study’s leader, John Swierk, provided a brief explanation for the research. “Relatively little is known about the composition of tattoo inks, so we began investigating prominent brands,” he explained.

Swierk continued, “Surprisingly, no dye business manufactures pigment specifically for tattoo ink. Pigments are produced by large corporations for all applications, including paint and textiles. These pigments are also utilized in tattoo inks.”

He added that the purpose of his and his team’s study is to better inform the public about the hazards and precise chemicals and components of commonly used tattoo ink. Sweirk remarked, “With this data, we want customers and artists to make educated decisions and recognize the accuracy of the information presented.”