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Swedes Bring Delight to Oil Spill Responders
01 Jun 2002
Oil companies and coastguards have tested a wide range of methods for detecting oil spills at night. Although often both expensive and complex, this equipment has yet to provide a fully satisfactory solution.
However the Swedish company ColorLight AB has now developed a promising marine searchlight which can aid in the early detection of oil spills thus helping to reduce recovery costs and prevent severe environmental damage.
Using special frequency ultra-violet (UV) light, ColorLight's searchlight mounted on a boat cuts through darkness, fog, rain and snow to expose oil spills that were previously impossible to detect. The secret behind the technological breakthrough derives from a simple discovery that 80% of oil products contain enough aromates to be fluorescent and thus detectable by UV light.
The ColorLight searchlight is dual-headed with both halogen and UV lights in one unit. In clear weather, the halogen light range is approximately 4,000m whilst the UV light range is some 1,400m. Remotely operated by a joystick, the searchlight can be rotated through 360º, offering complete freedom of movement. It features an acid-proof stainless steel housing for durability and is IP66 approved for heavy seas.
Assistant Professor Goran Manneberg at Stockholm's Royal Institute of Technology collaborated with ColorLight in the development of the technology and is optimistic regarding its future. 'This is a highly functional technique', he says. 'UV light seems to have considerable development potential in the field of oil spill detection.'
MJ Information No: 17146
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