Key Points
- Venice's Grand Canal water turned fluorescent green, sparking investigation amid speculation of environmental stunt.
- Authorities collected samples and held emergency meeting to determine cause.
- Analysis showed the presence of fluorescein, a non-toxic substance, in the water.
The spectacular transformation of a stretch of Venice's Grand Canal to fluorescent green was due to fluorescein, a non-toxic substance used for testing wastewater networks, local authorities said.
Residents noticed a stretch of Venice's Grand Canal turned bright green Sunday, prompting police to investigate amid speculation it could be a stunt by environmentalists.
But analysis showed "the presence of fluorescein in samples taken", said the Regional Agency for Environmental Prevention and Protection of Veneto (Arpav).
The results "have not shown the presence of toxic elements in the samples analysed", the statement said, without specifying the origin of the substance.
The change in colour noticed by residents raised eyebrows, with police looking into whether Sunday's development could be a protest by climate change activists, according to local daily La Nuova Venezia.
It is not the first time the Grand Canal has been turned green.
In 1968, Argentine artist Nicolas Garcia Uriburu dyed the waters of Venice's Grand Canal green with a fluorescent dye during the 34th Venice Biennale in a stunt to promote ecological awareness.
Recently, in Italy, environmental groups have been colouring monuments, including using vegetable charcoal to turn the waters of Rome's Trevi fountain black in a protest against fossil fuels.
However, unlike previous cases, no activist group came forward to claim responsibility for what happened in Venice.
