Abstract
It is estimated that approximately 24% of the US population has at least one tattoo. However, tattoo ink ingredients include heavy metals (high atomic number Z) that are not regulated, which can cause skin reactions. This study investigates the dosimetric effects in surface dose due to high-Z elements in tattoo ink under electron beam irradiation. Four commercially available tattoo ink colors, black, red, yellow, and blue were chosen. The elemental composition of the tattoo ink samples was analyzed using X-ray Fluorescence (XRF). An ultrathin-window parallel plate ion chamber was used to measure the surface dose perturbation (ratio of ionizations with and without tattoo ink) for 6 − 20 MeV electron beams. The elemental concentration in the tattoo ink samples showed high-Z elements, with Z ranging from 11 to 92. The dose perturbation ranged from 1.4% up to 6% for the yellow ink for the 6 MeV electron beam, with similar values across the rest of the electron energies, whereas the black, red, and blue inks presented up to 3% dose perturbation for the same range of energies. Based on this initial study, we conclude that commercially available tattoo inks contain large amounts of high-Z metals that may contribute to dose perturbation. Therefore treatment of superficial lesions with electron beams in a tattooed area should be monitored for signs of early skin reaction during radiation therapy treatments.
Highlights
Tattooing has become a social phenomenon, as it is estimated that approximately 24% of the US population has at least one tattoo [1]
The elemental concentration in the tattoo inks studied as a function of the atomic number is shown in Fig 3, indicating presence of high-Z elements ranging from 11 to 92
The dose perturbation ranged from 1.4% up to 6% for the yellow ink for the 6 MeV electron beam, with similar values observed across the rest of the electron energies, whereas the black, red, and blue inks presented up to 3% dose perturbation in the same energy range
Summary
Tattooing has become a social phenomenon, as it is estimated that approximately 24% of the US population has at least one tattoo [1]. Tattoo ink comes in many colors, from traditional black to almost every color in the light spectrum. These bold colors have genesis in the heavy metals in the ink, which produce the pigmentation [2]. Spectrophotometric analysis of trace metals in tattoo ink has revealed the presence of multiple elements at levels exceeding the traditionally accepted safe limit of 1 μg/g [3]. The US Food and Drug administration (FDA) neither approves nor regulates tattoo ink as they do with medications or medical devices, because the FDA considers tattoo inks to be cosmetic and the pigments used in the inks are considered additives [4]. Manufacturers are not required to reveal tattoo ink ingredients
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