The purpose of the current study was to probe the spectral characteristics of various fuel types at wavelengths that can be obtained with relatively inexpensive lamps and detectors. For example, single aromatic ring, and two- and three-ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) systems are common components of most fossil fuel materials. With appropriate mercury lamp sources, two readily available wavelengths at which these materials absorb are 254 nm and 280 nm (mercury lamp with 280 nm phosphor). Two wavelength regions where mercury lamps show no emission are near 340 and 450 nm. Therefore, the initial wavelengths that were studied were 254 and 280 nm excitation and 340 and 450 nm emission. This approach could define a new procedure using a relatively inexpensive portable instrument to gain some qualitative and quantitative information on soil contaminants.