Formation of highly toxic hydrogen cyanide upon ruby laser irradiation of the tattoo pigment phthalocyanine blue

Abstract

Since laser treatment of tattoos is the favored method for the removing of no longer wanted permanent skin paintings, analytical, biokinetics and toxicological data on the fragmentation pattern of commonly used pigments are urgently required for health safety reasons. Applying dynamic headspace—gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (DHS—GC/MS) and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GCxGC—ToF-MS), we identified 1,2-benzene dicarbonitrile, benzonitrile, benzene, and the poisonous gas hydrogen cyanide (HCN) as main fragmentation products emerging dose-dependently upon ruby laser irradiation of the popular blue pigment copper phthalocyanine in suspension. Skin cell viability was found to be significantly compromised at cyanide levels of ≥1 mM liberated during ruby laser irradiation of >1.5 mg/ml phthalocyanine blue. Further, for the first time we introduce pyrolysis-GC/MS as method suitable to simulate pigment fragmentation that may occur spontaneously or during laser removal of organic pigments in the living skin of tattooed people. According to the literature such regular tattoos hold up to 9 mg pigment/cm2 skin.

Synchrotron-based ν-XRF mapping and μ-FTIR microscopy enable to look into the fate and effects of tattoo pigments in human skin

“…The animal experiments which would be necessary to address these toxicological issues were rated unethical because tattoos are applied as a matter of choice and lack medical necessity, similar to cosmetics 2 . Consequently, the hazards that potentially derive from tattoos were as yet only investigated by chemical analysis of the inks and their degradation products in vitro 3 – 6 . Even though toxicological data might be available for some ink ingredients individually, information on in vivo interactions of the ink’s components and their fate within the body is rare.…”

A re-evaluation of Sn(II) phthalocyanine as a catalyst for the electrosynthesis of ammonia

“…Any ammonium salts (or species decomposing to such salts) that were present in the as-purchased materials had been removed by washing prior to electrolysis (see above). However, it was possible that the Sn(II) phthalocyanine itself might decompose under an applied bias to liberate ammonia, as is the case with thermal and photochemical degradation of metal-phthalocyanine complexes [29,30]. In support of this, Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) performed on our electrolytes showed considerably higher levels of tin to be in solution after a bias potential of −0.4 V had been applied for 45 minutes than when no potential had been applied (see Table 1).…”

Laser Irradiation of Organic Tattoo Pigments Releases Carcinogens with 3,3′-Dichlorobenzidine Inducing DNA Strand Breaks in Human Skin Cells

“…Nowadays, primarily organic pigments are used for brilliant color shades (Laux et al, 2016). Laser irradiation of organic pigments was shown to produce carcinogenic compounds after laser irradiation (Hauri and Hohl, 2015;Schreiver et al, 2015;Vasold et al, 2004). Because of the detection of carcinogens, a potential connection between tattoos and skin cancer is being controversially discussed (Kluger and Koljonen, 2012).…”