Residents of the Japanese city of Ikoma were surprised to find that the water in the local river Tatsutagawa suddenly turned bright green, reports SoraNews24
The water in the river took on a shade reminiscent of antifreeze, but residents did not report any chemical odors in the area. The local government has launched an investigation into the incident.
“Specialists went upstream and reached the tributary of the river. A red-brown substance was found on the concrete shore of the reservoir, which dissolved in the water and gave it a bright green color,” the Japanese TV channel reports.
It turned out that the substance found was sodium fluorescein. It is an organic compound that is used as a dye, and is also widely used in medicine to diagnose eye diseases and in plumbing to detect leaks. It is noted that local residents were reassured, assuring that the substance is safe and allowed for use in food products.
Police are continuing to investigate how the substance ended up on the river bank. Presumably, someone could illegally drop it there. Local farmers and gardeners were advised to temporarily refrain from using river water for watering plants.