A strange green sludge has been seen from manholes in New York City. The sight sparked mixed reactions from the locals and various theories behind it.

Bizarre Green Sludge in NYC Manholes

This week, a mystery green substance oozing out of manholes in the City that Never Sleeps stirred caused bewilderment and fear among the residents. The World Trade Center recorded footage on Tuesday of the fluorescent green liquid flowing down the street and forming neon-colored puddles.

Dan Pantelo posted pictures of the strange sighting on X (formerly known as Twitter). The shot was taken near the World Trade Center, and neon liquid can be seen all over the streets.

"So there's literal green sludge bubbling up from the ground next to World Trade Center right now," he wrote in the caption.

In another post, he shared a shot of some people walking past it. According to Pantelo, sometimes, a small crowd gathered around it and stared at it. He was also looking for an explanation behind the green liquid and wondered if they lived in a full-blown Gotham.

Some people made jokes about it on social media. A few compared it to Slimer from the Ghostbusters movie, while others claimed the green slime made them think of The Mutant Ninja Turtles.

 

ALSO READ: Why Is Photosynthesis Important?


Theories Behind The Green Sludge

Despite its alien appearance, there is a genuine reason for the said sighting. There were differing opinions on the nature of the green fluid in Manhattan. Some said it was a coolant, while others said it was poisonous.

A staff member at O'Hara's Restaurant and Pub, the location of the green liquid sighting on Tuesday, claimed that the green residue was left behind by a green foam that city officials used to test the hotel's sprinkler system across the street.

Another suggested that it was water full of green dye. One netizen claimed that to find leaks in sewage and plumbing systems; plumbers usually use a safe, brilliant green dye.

The Michigan State Police tweeted on Saturday that they had determined the brightly colored liquid to be the deadly chemical. They stated that the poison had run from the building's basement into the ground and down a drain that empties into eastbound I-696.

The chemical originated from a local electroplating company that shuttered after its owner, Gary Sayers, was sentenced to a year in jail for running an unauthorized facility that stored hazardous waste, according to The Detroit Free Press.

The plant's hazardous materials were removed, but it doesn't seem like the groundwater or soil contamination was fixed. However, authorities maintained that there was no public risk at this time.

This isn't the first time a green liquid was spotted in New York. In March, a similar sighting was observed in a Brooklyn subway station. According to the witnesses' account, they have seen "slime" accumulating next to a ticket machine. It was probably the result of water system testing.

However, when a vivid green liquid poured onto a Michigan highway in 2019, they had a different explanation. Authorities believe the substance is groundwater combined with a chemical known as hexavalent chromium after closing up the shoulder and examining the slime.

If inhaled or consumed, rusting metals have been related to cancers of the stomach, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract. Chromium keeps metals from rusting and is present in smoke from tobacco.

RELATED ARTICLE: Teenager From Chile Died Due to Acute Liver Failure After Consuming Wild Mushrooms

Check out more news and information on Medicine & Health in Science Times.