Tattoo removal with toxic hydrocyanic acid is associated with great health risks

If you want to get rid of unwanted tattoos, they are often removed with the help of a laser treatment. As scientists have found in a new study, this is associated with a health risk.

Hydrocyanic acid at tattoo removal
A survey recently revealed that no more than 15 percent of Germans have a tattoo. In other countries, however, there are significantly more people who opt for the skin ornaments. With the increasing use of tattoos, the demand to have them removed increases. For years, for example, there are lasers that can be used to remove tattoos cleanly. However, to date, there is a lack of data for evaluating the safety of different distance methods. As the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) now announced, they have been able to analyze the fission products that are produced by ruby ​​laser irradiation of the copper-containing pigment phthalocyanine blue. Specifically, these are 1,2-benzene dicarbonitrile, benzonitrile, benzene and hydrocyanic acid.

"For the first time, we were able to show that the laser treatment of a tattoo pigment in aqueous suspension produces substances in concentrations that are high enough to cause cell damage in the skin," said BfR President Andreas Hensel.

Removing unwanted tattoos can be a health hazard. (Image: mkrberlin / fotolia.com)

Dangerous colors
According to the information, the possible risks may vary depending on the size of the tattoo, pigment concentration, body location, irradiation dose and the wavelength of the laser used. The scientists who published their findings in the scientific journal "Scientific Reports" see further research needs. Experts have been pointing out for years the health hazards of tattoos. For example, last year's Stiftung Warentest had drawn attention to tattoo inks with questionable ingredients. Since it has now been shown that the most painful and expensive removal of tattoos is also harmful to health, one should really consider carefully whether one decides for the body jewelry.

Long-term effects largely unclear
Tattoos are often removed by laser treatments. Currently, the risk of fragmentation of pigments into toxic or carcinogenic components after the removal of tattoos is being researched scientifically. The nature of the possible chemical degradation products and their long-term effects after release and systemic distribution in the human body are largely unclear. Data on the laser-induced degradation of pigments used in tattooing agents are so far only available for some azo dyes.

Data on the decay of more light-fast molecules such as phthalocyanines are missing. According to the researchers, there was no data on the safety of copper phthalocyanine, also known as phthalocyanine blue, as a tattooing agent or its decay behavior.

Health risk, especially for large tattoos
In clinical dermatology, ruby ​​lasers are often used to remove blue tattoos. In this case, wavelength-specific heat-related cleavage of the pigment takes place. The BfR study simulated the laser-induced and temperature-dependent degradation of the blue pigment copper phthalocyanine. Then, all volatile degradation products were determined by gas chromatographic (GC) separation followed by mass spectrometric (MS) analysis.

According to information, among all the compounds formed by ruby-laser irradiation of copper phthalocyanine, hydrocyanic acid (HCN) is of particular importance because of its strong cytotoxicity. If the amounts of HCN detected by the BfR are transferred to the situation in the human body (in vivo), HCN concentrations of up to 30 micrograms per milliliter could result from laser treatment in certain tissue layers. Although oral ingestion and inhalation are the most common forms of cyanide poisoning, the BfR has also described cases of adverse health after absorption through the skin. Scientists believe that local pigment concentrations of around 30 micrograms per milliliter, which can occur in well-perfused tissue layers, pose a potential health risk. Especially when extremely large tattoos are irradiated.

Success is not guaranteed
There are currently several methods of tattoo removal, but their success is not guaranteed. Basically, there are health risks such as scarring and allergic reactions, such as an itchy rash. As the BfR experts pointed out, removal by laser can lead to toxic fission products and there is a risk of infection during the surgical removal of the corresponding skin area.

As early as 2011, individual cases were reported to the testing laboratory in which undesirable effects occurred after the use of liquid tattoo removers. Thus, in some cases severe inflammatory reactions of the skin with scarring occurred. A review on the toxicological assessment of tattoos was recently published in the medical journal The Lancet. (Ad)