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The change in profile of crude oil following a release into the environment is a topic of significant interest, and there is a need to develop analytical methodologies for understanding natural processes which affect related complex mixture profiles. One such process is the exposure to sunlight. In the following investigation, three oil samples were studied: one served as a control, a second was subjected to irradiation by an ultraviolet lamp, and a third sample was irradiated by a SoLux light source which closely models the solar emission profile. The usage of the SoLux light source represents a new method which enables a controlled experiment to mimic the effects of sunlight upon the sample. Atmospheric pressure photoionization was selected as the primary ionization method due to the ability to ionize a broad range of compounds, including low polarity components which could not be observed using electrospray …