Clammy skin, confusion, extreme pain, cold sweats, shortness of breath, death – sepsis is the life-threatening development of an infection. FDA research has found that tattoo ink – present in 32% of all Americans – may contain dangerous bacteria that may put people in danger.
“Given the results of our study, we would like to emphasize the importance of continuously monitoring these products to ensure the microbial safety of tattoo inks,” said study creator and U.S. Food and Drug Administration microbiologist Seong-Jae Kim.
Led by researchers from the FDA's Division of Microbiology and National Center for Toxicology Research, the study found that contaminated ink might be dangerous since it is injected deep into areas of skin vulnerable to bacteria.
“Pathogens or other harmful substances in these inks can travel from the injection site through the blood and lymphatic systems to other parts of the body,” study co-author Linda Katz, director of the FDA's Office of Cosmetics and Colors, said in an email to CNN.
Although sepsis is taken into account some of the serious consequences of ink contamination, skin rashes and contagious infections similar to impetigo, erysipelas and cellulitis are more commonly reported.
According to an assistant professor of chemistry at Binghamton University, the study's results weren’t surprising.
“We know that contaminants in tattoo inks are common,” Assistant Professor John Swierk told CNN in an email. “Part of the problem is that there is no agreed-upon, industry-standard method for sterilizing inks. Our work and the current study really underscore the need for good, standardized manufacturing processes across the tattoo ink industry.”
A Pew Research Center survey for 2023 found that a “vast majority” of U.S. adults imagine society has turn into more accepting of tattoos over the past few a long time. About 32% of adults reported having tattoos, with 22% of respondents having a couple of tattoo.
The study was published earlier this month within the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
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