Why Does Urine Glow Under a Black Light?

Element in Urine That Glows

Urine glows when exposed to black or ultraviolet light.
Urine glows when exposed to black or ultraviolet light. WIN-Initiative / Getty Images
By
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Chemistry Expert
  • Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
  • B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College
Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels.
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Updated on September 27, 2017
This woman is wearing make-up that glows under a black light.
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16 Things That Glow Under Black Light
By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.

You can use a black light to detect body fluids. It's actually a good way to look for pet urine or make sure a bathroom or hotel room is really clean. Cat urine, in particular, glows very brightly under ultraviolet light. Urine glows under a black light primarily because it contains the element phosphorus. Phosphorus glows yellowish green in the presence of oxygen, with or without black light, but the light imparts additional energy that make the chemiluminescence easier to see. Urine also contains broken down blood proteins that glow under a black light.

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Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Why Does Urine Glow Under a Black Light?" ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/why-urine-glows-under-black-light-609449. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2020, August 27). Why Does Urine Glow Under a Black Light? Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/why-urine-glows-under-black-light-609449 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Why Does Urine Glow Under a Black Light?" ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/why-urine-glows-under-black-light-609449 (accessed April 25, 2024).