Cancer-causing tattoo ink on sale in Britain
By Andrew Penman on June 6, 2013 7:56 AM in Health
Tattoo inks that can cause cancer are on sale in Britain, despite a Europe-wide ban.
In January, the European Union barred the importing of some inks made by three firms because they were deemed such a serious health risk.
Yet we found that carcinogenic ink made by one of the firms is still on sale in the UK.
The danger inks are particularly alarming at a time when many of the celebs admired by impressionable fans delight in showing off their body art, including David Beckham, Harry Styles, model Cara Delevingne, Justin Bieber and Cheryl Cole.
It has never been easier for their young admirers to copy them because DIY tattoo kits can be bought online for around £45 - you no longer need to go to a licensed tattoo artist.
But making a fashion statement could come at a terrible cost if the inks contain carcinogens called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or "PAHs".
In January, the European Union barred the importing of some inks made by three firms because they were deemed such a serious health risk.
Yet we found that carcinogenic ink made by one of the firms is still on sale in the UK.
The danger inks are particularly alarming at a time when many of the celebs admired by impressionable fans delight in showing off their body art, including David Beckham, Harry Styles, model Cara Delevingne, Justin Bieber and Cheryl Cole.
It has never been easier for their young admirers to copy them because DIY tattoo kits can be bought online for around £45 - you no longer need to go to a licensed tattoo artist.
But making a fashion statement could come at a terrible cost if the inks contain carcinogens called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or "PAHs".
These chemicals were found at levels well above the legal limit in inks made by Dragonhawk from China and American brands Intenze and Kuro Sumi, resulting in the EU bans.
Yet an online search quickly reveals Kuro Sumi suppliers in the UK and we were able to buy its black outlining ink at the first shop we visited, the unfortunately named Killer Ink Limited in Liverpool.
The bottle was identical to the one that was the subject of the EU "compulsory withdrawal" notice, apart from the batch number.
So we had it tested at a specialist laboratory and found that the new batch - the one we bought - had a PAH level almost the same as the batch that was banned.
The EU has set a maximum legal PAH concentration in tattoo inks at 0.5mg per kg.
The ink we bought had a concentration of just over 20mg per kg, almost 40 times the permitted level.
In February, Kent Trading Standards warned that the increased popularity of DIY tattoo kits "puts people at risk from poor hygiene, the spread of disease and not to mention the fact they will have a permanent tattoo as a result - however bad the design".
And it added: "Chemical analysis tests have shown that in some cases the inks contain substances that are also potentially hazardous and could include carcinogenic chemicals, acids which can burn, impurities and heavy metals which can cause poisoning."
Yesterday, Trading Standards manager Richard Strawson said it was "disturbing" to find a danger ink still on sale. "These are chemicals that people inject under their skin, the potential harm is obvious," he said. "We will do all we can to ensure they are not sold, looking at the supply chain and the importer and intervene."
Killer Ink director Zayd Safar told us: "We are one of many supply companies who stock Kuro Sumi. The alert to which you refer, which we were aware of, only applies to the stated batches which we have never received.
"We take our customers' well-being extremely seriously and will comply fully with any recall instructions."
If you're buying inks from them it's worth noting their disclaimer: "Merchandise may be dangerous and can cause physical and chemical damage to certain individuals. When you purchase merchandise from Killer Ink Limited you assume all risks."
We contacted Kuro Sumi in Long Island, USA, and received the reply: "Please send us these tests and results, we would like to see this."
We sent the results on Tuesday but have heard nothing since.
http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/investigations/2013/06/cancer-causing-tattoo-ink-on-s.html
Yet an online search quickly reveals Kuro Sumi suppliers in the UK and we were able to buy its black outlining ink at the first shop we visited, the unfortunately named Killer Ink Limited in Liverpool.
The bottle was identical to the one that was the subject of the EU "compulsory withdrawal" notice, apart from the batch number.
So we had it tested at a specialist laboratory and found that the new batch - the one we bought - had a PAH level almost the same as the batch that was banned.
The EU has set a maximum legal PAH concentration in tattoo inks at 0.5mg per kg.
The ink we bought had a concentration of just over 20mg per kg, almost 40 times the permitted level.
In February, Kent Trading Standards warned that the increased popularity of DIY tattoo kits "puts people at risk from poor hygiene, the spread of disease and not to mention the fact they will have a permanent tattoo as a result - however bad the design".
And it added: "Chemical analysis tests have shown that in some cases the inks contain substances that are also potentially hazardous and could include carcinogenic chemicals, acids which can burn, impurities and heavy metals which can cause poisoning."
Yesterday, Trading Standards manager Richard Strawson said it was "disturbing" to find a danger ink still on sale. "These are chemicals that people inject under their skin, the potential harm is obvious," he said. "We will do all we can to ensure they are not sold, looking at the supply chain and the importer and intervene."
Killer Ink director Zayd Safar told us: "We are one of many supply companies who stock Kuro Sumi. The alert to which you refer, which we were aware of, only applies to the stated batches which we have never received.
"We take our customers' well-being extremely seriously and will comply fully with any recall instructions."
If you're buying inks from them it's worth noting their disclaimer: "Merchandise may be dangerous and can cause physical and chemical damage to certain individuals. When you purchase merchandise from Killer Ink Limited you assume all risks."
We contacted Kuro Sumi in Long Island, USA, and received the reply: "Please send us these tests and results, we would like to see this."
We sent the results on Tuesday but have heard nothing since.
http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/investigations/2013/06/cancer-causing-tattoo-ink-on-s.html
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