Ultraviolet and visible (UV/vis) light were used to determine the composition of aerosol samples taken from several military bases located in the Middle East. The aerosols were collected using a cascade impactor placing time resolved aerosols on strips of mylar. These strips were then fed into a fiber optic UV/vis spectrometer which passes light through the mylar strip and detects the amount of transmitted light relative to a blank standard. By measuring the light transmitted, the amount of aerosol on the mylar strip was determined proportional to a calibration curve of standard mass depositions. The UV/vis tests were then compared to results from -gauge analysis performed on the same samples to determine the validity of optical transparency as a substitute for electron attenuation studies. It was determined that the UV/vis data is largely comparable to the -gauge data showing that UV/vis is a viable alternative to the -gauge method as well as being more convenient, expedient, and easier to perform