Glow-in-the-Dark Tampons Track Sewage Leaks in Rivers

Tampons have been hailed by scientists as an effective way to identify pollution in rivers.

A new study led by David Lerner, a professor of environmental engineering at the University of Sheffield, helped identify specific households where pipes are misdirecting sewage into rivers rather than treatment plants.

During the study, the tampons were suspended on rods above 16 different surface water outlets which ran into rivers and streams. Afterwards they were dipped in diluted detergent for five seconds, where nine of them showed up optical brighteners (chemical compounds) under ultraviolet light, indicating the presence of water pollution.

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