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Canada’s Goldstream River Turned Fluorescent Green

By on January 11, 2011 in News 51

Via Utica Daily News:

The river, which runs through the city of Langford, British Columbia, turned a fluorescent green on Dec. 30, when a passer-by captured stunning video of the verdant waterway.

At first it wasn’t clear what caused the river — and the water in a nearby fountain — to change color. But investigators now believe that the green hue was caused by the addition of fluorescein, a synthetic organic compound that is often used as a dye, or a “fluorescent tracer,” in the testing of water systems.

[Continues at Utica Daily News]

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  • Sara

    This happened at the Shambhala festival, near Salmo BC last year too when I was there… was probably the same person pulling another prank. Supposedly the dye is non-toxic…. but it definitely freaked out a lot of people!

    • Hadrian999

      looks like chicago on st patricks day

  • Sara

    This happened at the Shambhala festival, near Salmo BC last year too when I was there… was probably the same person pulling another prank. Supposedly the dye is non-toxic…. but it definitely freaked out a lot of people!

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  • Hadrian999

    looks like chicago on st patricks day

  • Anon

    a synthetic organic compound? that makes sense.

    • Quad-Zilla

      It does make sense. You’re thinking of the “organic food” type definition of organic, i think. They don’t mean “all natural”, or without human tampering/intervention.

      An “Organic compound” is a compound that contains Carbon.

      You can easily have a synthetic organic compound… and that totally makes sense.

    • Fuck

      yeah iditot it actually does. Go grab a fucking chemistry book you dumbass

      • 123

        The first word in a sentance should be capitalized. I believe idiot it spelled with a single t. Also you forgot a period at the end of your sentance. Maybe you should grab an english book. Dumbass.

        • Speaking of correct English;

          Sorry to have to do this, but you brought it on yourself. Sentence. Capitalise English. Commas.

          • QuitOverCriticizing

            It is perfectly acceptable to spell “capitalize” with a z in many English-speaking countries.

          • Strongbad

            The guy meant “English” should have been capitalized… ouch.

    • Vishess

      Yes…it does…
      Such as all your basic polymers like rubbers or plastic..those are synthetic

  • Anon

    a synthetic organic compound? that makes sense.

  • Anon

    I too was at Shambhala nearl Salmo, when they turned the river green there and caused a big hype about it

    This is obviously a publicity stunt by environmental activist(s) in BC, pretty cool!

  • Anon

    I too was at Shambhala nearl Salmo, when they turned the river green there and caused a big hype about it

    This is obviously a publicity stunt by environmental activist(s) in BC, pretty cool!

  • Quad-Zilla

    We humans drink dyes like this all the time. We add sugar to ours though, and call it Kool Aid. And, as someone mentioned, Chicago has done this to their river many times, and I’m sure it’s the LEAST toxic thing Chicago has done to that river…

    I have doubts this would hurt the fish in any meaningful way (unless it has toxic additives; it probably doesn’t)… Maybe green eyes for a day or so… Kinda like our tongues when drinking Ecto-Cooler (anyone remember Ecto-Cooler)??

  • Quad-Zilla

    We humans drink dyes like this all the time. We add sugar to ours though, and call it Kool Aid. And, as someone mentioned, Chicago has done this to their river many times, and I’m sure it’s the LEAST toxic thing Chicago has done to that river…

    I have doubts this would hurt the fish in any meaningful way (unless it has toxic additives; it probably doesn’t)… Maybe green eyes for a day or so… Kinda like our tongues when drinking Ecto-Cooler (anyone remember Ecto-Cooler)??

  • Quad-Zilla

    We humans drink dyes like this all the time. We add sugar to ours though, and call it Kool Aid. And, as someone mentioned, Chicago has done this to their river many times, and I’m sure it’s the LEAST toxic thing Chicago has done to that river…

    I have doubts this would hurt the fish in any meaningful way (unless it has toxic additives; it probably doesn’t)… Maybe green eyes for a day or so… Kinda like our tongues when drinking Ecto-Cooler (anyone remember Ecto-Cooler)??

  • Quad-Zilla

    It does make sense. You’re thinking of the “organic food” type definition of organic, i think. They don’t mean “all natural”, or without human tampering/intervention.

    An “Organic compound” is a compound that contains Carbon.

    You can easily have a synthetic organic compound… and that totally makes sense.

  • StillAtMyMoms

    Didn’t I read and see this in “The Road”?

  • StillAtMyMoms

    Didn’t I read and see this in “The Road”?

  • Fukyous

    somebody dumped floricein

  • Fukyous

    somebody dumped floricein

  • Fuck

    yeah iditot it actually does. Go grab a fucking chemistry book you dumbass

  • Simiantongue

    I don’t know what the hell it is but get outta my way I’m going in!!!. What the world needs is a super hero and I sees ma chance! League of Justice here I come!!!

  • Simiantongue

    I don’t know what the hell it is but get outta my way I’m going in!!!. What the world needs is a super hero and I sees ma chance! League of Justice here I come!!!

  • Simiantongue

    I don’t know what the hell it is but get outta my way I’m going in!!!. What the world needs is a super hero and I sees ma chance! League of Justice here I come!!!

  • Dustin

    Jump in kids!!!

  • Dustin

    Jump in kids!!!

  • 123

    The first word in a sentance should be capitalized. I believe idiot it spelled with a single t. Also you forgot a period at the end of your sentance. Maybe you should grab an english book. Dumbass.

  • Asdff

    this river would make a GREAT green screen effect

  • Asdff

    this river would make a GREAT green screen effect

  • Asdff

    this river would make a GREAT green screen effect

  • Speaking of correct English;

    Sorry to have to do this, but you brought it on yourself. Sentence. Capitalise English. Commas.

  • QuitOverCriticizing

    It is perfectly acceptable to spell “capitalize” with a z in many English-speaking countries.

  • QuitOverCriticizing

    It is perfectly acceptable to spell “capitalize” with a z in many English-speaking countries.

  • Strongbad

    The guy meant “English” should have been capitalized… ouch.

  • Bahahahaha

    I live literally 5 minutes from this river and was too lazy to go check it out.

  • Bahahahaha

    I live literally 5 minutes from this river and was too lazy to go check it out.

  • Guest

    go swimmin in it and get superpowers. . .

  • Guest

    go swimmin in it and get superpowers. . .

  • Guest

    go swimmin in it and get superpowers. . .

  • Guest

    go swimmin in it and get superpowers. . .

  • Guest

    go swimmin in it and get superpowers. . .

  • Vishess

    Yes…it does…
    Such as all your basic polymers like rubbers or plastic..those are synthetic

  • boobookitty

    There is no way someone had enough dye to make a creek that green with the amount of water and distances. But some thing weird and Biological is def going on.

  • boobookitty

    There is no way someone had enough dye to make a creek that green with the amount of water and distances. But some thing weird and Biological is def going on.

  • Shwooden

    It looks like the dye used during World War II as shark repellent. Packages of this stuff were issued on liferafts to put in the water to hopefully keep sharks away.
    I don’t know if it really worked.

  • Shwooden

    It looks like the dye used during World War II as shark repellent. Packages of this stuff were issued on liferafts to put in the water to hopefully keep sharks away.
    I don’t know if it really worked.

  • Shwooden

    It looks like the dye used during World War II as shark repellent. Packages of this stuff were issued on liferafts to put in the water to hopefully keep sharks away.
    I don’t know if it really worked.