Department of Environment and Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
Contact Dermatitis. 2018 Oct;79(4):218-225. doi: 10.1111/cod.13051. Epub 2018 Jul 11.
The presence of hexavalent chromium (Cr[VI]), which is carcinogenic to humans and a dermal sensitizer, in tattoo inks may represent a serious health concern. The level of this impurity is limited to 0.2 mg/kg in tattoo inks by the European Resolution ResAP(2008)1.
To analyse 29 tattoo inks, produced in Europe and the United States, of different colours and brands, for Cr(VI) to assess their conformity with ResAP(2008)1 and to characterize dermal and systemic risks.
Ion chromatography and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry were used to determine the levels of Cr(VI) in inks; risk characterization was performed by calculating the systemic exposure dosage (SED) and margin of safety (MoS).
Ninety per cent of inks contained Cr(VI) (range: 0.22-4.09 mg/kg), ie, above the maximum allowed level, and no information appeared on the label. More than 1 mg/kg Cr(VI) was detected in 27.6% of inks; these might represent a possible cause of dermal adverse reactions. Exposure to Cr(VI) in inks resulted in negligible SED values and MoS values of >100 (safety threshold), indicating no appreciable systemic risk.
The minimization of Cr(VI) contamination and the use of technology compliant with good manufacturing practices is recommended to increase the safety of tattoo inks.
六价铬（Cr[VI]）存在于纹身油墨中，具有致癌性和皮肤致敏性，可能对健康造成严重影响。欧洲决议 ResAP(2008)1 将这种杂质的含量限制在纹身油墨中 0.2 毫克/千克。
分析来自欧洲和美国的 29 种不同颜色和品牌的纹身油墨中的 Cr(VI)，以评估其是否符合 ResAP(2008)1 的要求，并评估其皮肤和全身风险。
采用离子色谱法和电感耦合等离子体质谱法测定油墨中 Cr(VI)的含量；通过计算全身暴露剂量（SED）和安全边际（MoS）来进行风险特征描述。
90%的油墨中含有 Cr(VI)（范围：0.22-4.09 毫克/千克），即超过了允许的最高水平，但标签上没有任何信息。90%的油墨中含有 Cr(VI)（范围：0.22-4.09 毫克/千克），即超过了允许的最高水平，但标签上没有任何信息。90%的油墨中含有 Cr(VI)（范围：0.22-4.09 毫克/千克），即超过了允许的最高水平，但标签上没有任何信息。超过 1 毫克/千克 Cr(VI)的油墨占 27.6%，这可能是导致皮肤不良反应的潜在原因。油墨中 Cr(VI)的暴露导致 SED 值和 MoS 值非常低（安全阈值 >100），表明不存在明显的全身风险。
建议尽量减少 Cr(VI)的污染，并采用符合良好生产规范的技术，以提高纹身油墨的安全性。
