Ultra Violet Used to Help the Big Clean Up

Usually the tool of forensic scientists of nightclub bouncers, UV light emitted from specific UV torches is proposed to be used to help in the big clean up from the Gulf oil spill.

Coastal Geologist and South Florida University graduate student Rip Kirby has been testing the use of UV on the seashore to help to identify oil on the Gulf beaches. Kirby hopes that the method will allow scientists and clean up crews to find and deal with hard to spot oil, such as crude oil mixed with mud or light stains on sand that’s washed up from BP’s Deep Horizon rig.

Under UV light, clean sand appears to be a purple, and as can seen in the picture, sand infected with oil appears orange-yellow. Whilst hydrocarbons have been known to fluoresce under UV light for sometime, this is the first time the principle has successfully been applied outside the lab.

Rip says "The first time I took the UV flashlight out on the beach to see if its work, it was beyond my wildest dreams. It was easy to see that there was oil on the beach...the contamination was widespread"

A fantastic and effective way to use UV, it’ll definitely make the clean up effort that little bit easier. UV light has long been an effective tool to identify substances that they eye usually can’t see; why not try for yourself with a 21 LED UV torch.