Voters leave polls, raise their fingers in pride of their phosphorus ink-stained fingers and post a photo on Facebook. It is the voting joy that has been newly experienced by the Arab Spring countries, despite all the accompanying difficulties and pitfalls.

Voters leave polls, raise their fingers in pride of their phosphorus ink-stained fingers and post a photo on Facebook. It is the voting joy that has been newly experienced by the Arab Spring countries, despite all the accompanying difficulties and pitfalls.

Voters might later try to wipe the phosphorous ink with a napkin, or try again using soap and even alcohol, but in vain. The ink will eventually fade, but will not go off. Voters do not know that the ink will remain for several days and even up to a week or two. The ink has penetrated the cells of their fingers and will not be completely erased before the outer cells of their skin change.

Phosphorus comes from Latin and means ‘light carrier’.  It indicates the element which glows in the dark and was discovered by the German alchemist Henning Brandt in 1969 (it is ranked 15 on the atomic table and its chemical symbol is P). But what does all of that have to do with the voter who tries to wipe it off his finger in vain?

Actually, phosphorous ink is not phosphorus and has nothing to do with the two most famous kinds used in industry: white phosphorus which is highly toxic and used in a variety of hazardous products including pesticides, fireworks and the internationally-prohibited phosphorus bombs and the other one is the red phosphorus, which is the same as the white after being burned under 250 centigrade in a closed domain. Red phosphorus, which is less hazardous, can be found in most houses on the tips of matches. The hazardous white phosphorus was initially used and caused a lot of injuries and until Swedish chemist Gustaf Pasch (1788 – 1862) suggested using the red phosphorus, with the use of friction to ignite it.

In 1859, these substances were separated to make ‘safety matches’ and the red phosphorus became the main component on the side of the matchboxes (in addition to black carbon and glass powder). The match stick head basically consists of potassium chlorate, starch and sulfur to incite ignition when they are scratched across the box.

However, phosphorous used in voting does not ignite of course since it has nothing to do with the phosphorus we explained above. Indeed, the phosphorus ink consist of pigment material concentrated and colored according to the needed ink color, in addition to silver nitrate, which is used in three concentrations, 10, 14 or 18 per cent, based on the duration the electoral ink is intended to remain on the skin. Nitrate does not harm the skin unless its concentration is over 25 % and it remains on the skin for several days and even weeks on nails unless they are cut off.

What relation do the pigment and silver nitrate have with phosphorus or the phosphorus ink? It is the chemical action called phosphorescence.

Phosphorescence is the luminance or the glow that some materials create in the dark or when they are exposed to electromagnetic fields or ultra-violate rays. Among the glittering materials are plutonium, radium, radon gas and jellyfish, whose body proteins glow in the dark. 

Silver nitrate, available in the election ink, also glows, which means it goes through phosphorescence and is hence called phosphorus ink. But, if it is stuck on your finger, it has nothing to do with the original phosphorus of bombs, pesticides and matchboxes.

Ink on your finger is more like glowing road signs or the luminous jackets of traffic police. They all glow because they are made of material that goes through phosphorescence. They emit light and energy in the dark and under rays of light. They, along with your election finger, are not really phosphorus-they merely share names and imagery.