page_title: Ink
section_title: Health and environmental aspects
hierarchical_section_title: Ink / Health and environmental aspects
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: "Wikipedia" mit selbstgemachter Eisengallustinte geschrieben, nach verschiedenen Zeiten photographiert (Erstes Bild sofort, zweites nach 8 sec, drittes nach 40 sec, viertes nach 3 min) English: "Wikipedia" written with self-made iron gall ink, and photographed at different times. (First image immediately, second after 8 seconds. third after 40 seconds, fourth after 3 minutes.)
context_page_description: Ink is a liquid or paste that contain pigments or dyes and is used to color a surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing or writing with a pen, brush, reed pen, or quill. Thicker inks, in paste form, are used extensively in letterpress and lithographic printing.
  Ink can be a complex medium, composed of solvents, pigments, dyes, resins, lubricants, solubilizers, surfactants, particulate matter, fluorescents, and other materials. The components of inks serve many purposes; the ink's carrier, colorants, and other additives affect the flow and thickness of the ink and its dry appearance.
  In 2011 worldwide consumption of printing inks generated revenues of more than 20 billion US dollars. Demand by traditional print media is shrinking, on the other hand more and more printing inks are consumed for packagings.
context_section_description: There is a misconception that ink is non-toxic even if swallowed. Once ingested, ink can be hazardous to one's health. Certain inks, such as those used in digital printers, and even those found in a common pen can be harmful. Though ink does not easily cause death, repeated skin contact or ingestion can cause effects such as severe headaches, skin irritation, or nervous system damage. These effects can be caused by solvents, or by pigment ingredients such as p-Anisidine, which helps create some inks' color and shine.
  Three main environmental issues with ink are:
  Heavy metals 
  Non-renewable oils
  Volatile organic compounds
  Some regulatory bodies have set standards for the amount of heavy metals in ink. There is a trend toward vegetable oils rather than petroleum oils in recent years in response to a demand for better environmental sustainability performance.
  Ink uses up non-renewable oils and metals, which has a negative impact on the environment.
caption: "Wikipedia" written with self-made iron gall ink
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