Bright-green liquid appears in Venice waters near city’s famed canal
Venice was feeling a little green this weekend.
The water in sections of the famous Grand Canal in the Italian city turned fluorescent green — and at first, no one knew why.
Residents near the Rialto Bridge were the ones to first spot the bizarre change on Sunday, which started as a blob and gradually grew throughout the day.
“This morning a patch of phosphorescent green liquid appeared in the Grande Canal of Venice, reported by some residents near the Rialto Bridge. The prefect has convened an urgent meeting with the police force to investigate the origin of the liquid,” Veneto regional president Luca Zaia wrote in a translated tweet.
After environmental authorities launched an investigation into the cause of the bright green hue, it was discovered that it was due to fluorescein — a chemical commonly used to identify leaks in underwater construction.
“No danger of pollution from the fluorescent green patch that appeared yesterday morning in the waters of Venice, but the risk of emulation is worrying,” Zaia said in a translated tweet. “Unfortunately Venice has become the stage for actions far beyond the lines: adequate and strong responses are needed.”
He continued, “ARPAV technicians took the colored water and carried out the first analyses in the late morning. The green liquid appears to be a coloring organic compound used for water inspections or in caving.”
There was initially speculation that the green canal was a stunt by environmentalist protestors, but it’s still unclear how the non-toxic chemical was released into the famed canal and investigations are ongoing, a spokesperson for the Venice Police told CNN.
The Regional Agency for the Environment in Venice (ARPAV) said it was most likely not accidental considering the volume released.
The theory that environmentalists might have been behind the coloring of the Grand Canal isn’t so far-fetched — considering this isn’t the first time it’s happened.
In 1968, Argentine artist Nicolás García Uriburu used fluorescein to dye the waters green during the annual Venice Biennale with the hopes to bring focus to environmental and ecological issues.
As of now, no group has claimed responsibility for the incident.
