FDA study identifies contaminated tattoo ink

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Nearly 35% of commercially available tattoo ink is contaminated with bacteria, a study from the federal Food and Drug Administration has found.

The agency tested 75 samples of tattoo ink for genetic material of various bacteria and 26 of the samples had at least one bacteria species in it, the agency reported in a study published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology . The study identified 34 different bacteria in the the samples, 19 of which are considered pathogens for human beings, the study reported.

“No significant association was found between sterility claims on the ink label and the absence of bacterial contamination,” the authors wrote in the abstract of the study.

The authors note that increased tattoo applications and permanent make-up applications have lead to an increase in reported skin infections in the U.S. The study, they note, is the first to evaluate ink for the presence of bacteria.

“Our findings reveal that unopened and sealed tattoo inks can harbor anaerobic bacteria, known to thrive in low-oxygen environments, such as the dermal layer of the skin, alongside aerobic bacteria,” the authors wrote in the section on the importance of their findings. “This suggests that contaminated tattoo inks could be a source of infection from both types of bacteria. The results emphasize the importance of monitoring these products for both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, including possibly pathogenic microorganisms.”

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