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Applying dynamic headspace\u2014gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (DHS\u2014GC\/MS) and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GCxGC\u2014ToF-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 \u22651\u2009mM liberated during ruby laser irradiation of &gt;1.5\u2009mg\/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\u2009mg pigment\/cm<jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup>skin.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1038\/srep12915","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2015,8,5]],"date-time":"2015-08-05T11:44:40Z","timestamp":1438775080000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":58,"title":["Formation of highly toxic hydrogen cyanide upon ruby laser irradiation of the tattoo pigment phthalocyanine blue"],"prefix":"10.1038","volume":"5","author":[{"given":"Ines","family":"Schreiver","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Christoph","family":"Hutzler","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Peter","family":"Laux","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hans-Peter","family":"Berlien","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andreas","family":"Luch","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2015,8,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"BFsrep12915_CR1","unstructured":"Laux, P. et al. 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Tattooing of skin results in transportation and light-induced decomposition of tattoo pigments\u2014a first quantification in vivo using a mouse model. Exp. Dermatol. 19, 54\u201360 (2010).","journal-title":"Exp. Dermatol."},{"key":"BFsrep12915_CR7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"185","DOI":"10.1562\/2004-05-17-RA-170.1","volume":"80","author":"R Vasold","year":"2004","unstructured":"Vasold, R. et al. Tattoo pigments are cleaved by laser light\u2014the chemical analysis in vitro provide evidence for hazardous compounds. Photochem. Photobiol. 80, 185\u2013190 (2004).","journal-title":"Photochem. Photobiol."},{"key":"BFsrep12915_CR8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"175","DOI":"10.1562\/2004-04-06-RA-136.1","volume":"80","author":"Y Cui","year":"2004","unstructured":"Cui, Y. et al. Photodecomposition of pigment yellow 74, a pigment used in tattoo inks. Photochem. Photobiol. 80, 175\u2013184 (2004).","journal-title":"Photochem. 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