FUW TRENDS IN SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(A Peer Review Journal)
e–ISSN: 2408–5162; p–ISSN: 2048–5170
keywords: Carcinogen, heavy metals, potential health risk, tattoo ink
The aim of this study is to determine the concentration of cadmium, lead, nickel, mercury and zinc in three different imported black tattoo ink sold in Zaria, Nigeria. Three commonly different brands of black tattoo ink coded BTN1, BTN2 and BTN3 being sold in Zaria town were randomly purchased. Each brand of the tattoo ink was mixed, sample taken and digested using a mixture of concentrated acids (HNO3/HClO4/H2SO4/H2O2 ratio 3:2:1:1).The concentrations of the metals were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS).One-Way Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was done at 95% confidence limit on the data obtained.The results of the analysis indicated that the concentrations of Cd, Pb, Ni, Hg and Zn were found to be in the range of 2.357 – 2.554 mg/Kg, 3.640 – 6.514 mg/Kg, 1.859 – 2.837 mg/Kg, 0.499 – 0.638 mg/ kg, and 36.272 – 47.008 mg/Kg, respectively. These values (except that of Zn) were higher than the given EPA’s Guidelines in 2012. The one-way ANOVA showed that there was no significant difference (P greather than 05) between the metal levels in the different brands of black ink. This result reveals that the type of pigment used in tattoo inks contributes to its heavy metal content.The use of tattoo inks could result in an increase in the heavy metal level in human body which could lead to health problems.
Annan K, Dickson RA, Amponsah IK & Nooni IK 2013. The heavy metal contents of some selected medicinal plants sampled from different geographical locations. J. Pharmacognosy Res., 5(2): 103–108. Basketter DA, Angelini G, Ingber A, Kern PS & Menne T 2003. Nickel, chromium and cobalt in consumer products: revisiting safe levels in the new millennium. Contact Dermatitis, 49(1): 1 – 7. Bäumler W 2013. The fate of tattoo pigments in the skin. BfR Symposium. University of Regensburg, Germany. Bocca B, Petrucci F & Alimonti A 2013. Heavy Metalsin Tattoo Inks. National Institute for Health, Roma, Italy. BfR-Symposium. EFSA 2010. Scientific Opinion on Lead in Food. EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM), EFSA Journal, 8(4):1570. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Parma, Italy. EFSA 2011. Scientific Opinion: Statement on tolerable weekly intake for cadmium. Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM). EFSA Journal, 9(2): 1975. Eghbali K, Mousavi Z & Ziarati P 2014. Determination of Heavy Metals in Tattoo Ink. Biosci. Biotechn. Res. Asia, 11(2): 941-946. Engel E 2008. Modern tattoos cause high concentrations of hazardouspigments in skin. ContactDermatitis, 58: 228-233. EPA 2012. Guidelines for Tattoo and Permanent Make-up Substances.New Zealand Government. EPA0128. ERMA New Zealand March 2011. Information sheet on the proposed Tattoo Inks Group Standard, 5 www.gesundheit-nds.de/downloads/risksandhealth.pdf. Eva Jacobsen, Kathe Tønning, Eva Pedersen & Nils Bernth 2012. Chemical Substances in Tattoo Ink. MiljøstyrelsenStrandgade 291401 København Kwww.mst.dk. FAO/WHO (2010).Expert Committee on Food Additives: Cadmium. Seventy-thirdmeeting, Geneva, 8-17 June 2010. Summary and Conclusions, p. 17. Issued 24. Forte G, Petrucci F & Bocca B 2009. Markey survey on toxic metals contained in tattoo inks. Sci. Total Envt. 407(23): 5997–6002. IARC 2006. Monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans, Vol. 87, Inorganic and Organic Lead Compounds; IARC, Lyon, France. International Agency for Research on Cancer 2010. Criterion for inorganic nickel salts in drinking water has been prepared; Lyon, France. Lancet, 10: 453-454. Lenntech BV 2013. Environmental Health and Medicine Education. http:// www.lenntech.com/ periodic/elements/pb.htm#ixzz2h2Gn9N00. MacIntosh HS 2007. In the Ink: Do All Tattoo Pigments Use Mercury and Other Toxic Heavy Metals? Harvard University, Treehugger, www.treehugger.com. Masa J, Helena G, Dominic V, Metka S & Domen L 2013. Fractionation of metal contaminated garden soil after remediation. Envtal. Pollution, 174(2013): 63 -70. Ministry of Health 2013. Survey of Selected Samplesof Tattoo Inks for the Presence of Heavy Metals. Wellington 6145, New Zealand. Straif K, Benbrahim-Tallaa L, Baan R, Grosse Y, Secretan B, ElGhissassi F, Bouvard V, Guha N, Freeman C, Galichet L & Cogliano V 2009. A review of human carcinogens - Part C: Metals, arsenic, dusts, and fibres, on behalf of the WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer Monograph Working Group. International agency for research on cancer, Lyon, France. Lancet, 10: 453-454. Taylor TP, Ding M, Ehler DS, Foreman TM, Kaszuba JP & Sauer NN 2003. Beryllium in the environment: A review. J. Envt. Sci. Health A Tox. Hazard Subst. Envt. Engr., 38(2): 439-69. Wu QT 2011. Environmental Soil Science. China Agricultural University Press, Beijing, p.197.
