In a groundbreaking clinical study conducted by scientists from the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), the path and metabolism of liquid components of tattooing agents in the body have been traced for the first time. The study, recently published in the journal Archives of Toxicology, sheds new light on the health risks associated with tattooing.
Dr. Ines Schreiver, the lead researcher at the Dermatotoxicology Study Center at BfR, explains, “The results of our study will make it possible to assess and evaluate the health risks of tattooing more accurately in the future.” Previous research has shown that color pigments from tattoos can deposit in the lymph nodes, but the study focused on understanding the behavior and distribution of liquid components in the body.
The study involved 24 volunteers who received tattoos of their choice under controlled laboratory conditions at the Charité hospital in Berlin. Urine and blood samples were collected before, during, and after tattooing to track the metabolism of the tattooing agents. Marker substances were used to monitor how the liquid components were processed by the body.
One interesting finding was that metabolites were detectable in the blood shortly after tattooing began, indicating a different metabolism process compared to oral intake. Enzymes in skin cells were found to play a crucial role in metabolizing the substances from tattoo ink. The study also revealed that only about a fifth of the ink used during tattooing ended up in the skin, with the rest being excreted as wounds healed.
The data collected in this study will help in assessing and evaluating potential health risks associated with tattoo inks more accurately in the future. The findings provide valuable insights into the biokinetics of tattoo ink exposure and highlight the importance of understanding how these substances interact with the body.
For more information on the study, you can refer to the publication in the Archives of Toxicology titled “Tat_BioV: tattoo ink exposure and biokinetics of selected tracers in a short-term clinical study of 24 subjects.” The DOI for the publication is 10.1007/s00204-025-03959-8.
This research was conducted by the BfR Federal Institute for Risk Assessment and contributes to our understanding of the impact of tattoo inks on the human body. It underscores the importance of further research and monitoring in this area to ensure the safety of individuals getting tattoos.
