Signal advice Prioritization of substances in tattoo inks
Inks used for tattoos and permanent make-up (PMU) contain chemical substances that may be harmful to health. Since January 2022, European legislation has established limit values for these substances. The NVWA oversees compliance with these regulations. Given the thousands of substances involved, it is crucial to determine where the NVWA should focus its oversight. The Office for Risk Assessment & Research (BuRO) has conducted a risk assessment for this purpose.
BuRO advises the NVWA to focus on the following substances: PAHs, PAAs, arsenic, barium, cobalt, copper, lead, nickel, zinc, chromium-6, tributyltin, formaldehyde and isothiazolinones. Additionally, it is important to continue monitoring for the presence of other substances in these inks.