This photo appears to be an old bottle sitting on the ground. It’s not. The bottle is one of several objects that I saw supported by a layer of algae in a pond at Goodwin Park, located in Hartford’s South End.
An article all about pollution and pond scum describes the causes and effects of algae growth:
Eutrophication has many negative effects on aquatic ecosystems. Perhaps the most visible consequence is the proliferation of algae, which can turn water a turbid green and coat shallower surfaces with “pond scum.” This increased growth of algae and also aquatic weeds can degrade water quality and interfere with use of the water for fisheries, recreation, industry, agriculture, and drinking. As overabundant nuisance plants die, bacterial decomposers proliferate; as they work to break down this plant matter, the bacteria consume more dissolved oxygen from the water. The result can be oxygen shortages that cause fish kills. Eutrophication can lead to loss of habitats such as aquatic plant beds in fresh and marine waters and coral reefs along tropical coasts. Thus, eutrophication plays a role in the loss of aquatic biodiversity.
[…]In freshwater, blooms of cyanobacteria (formerly called blue-green algae) are a prominent symptom of eutrophication. These blooms contribute to a wide range of water-related problems including summer fish kills, foul odors, and unpalatable tastes in drinking water. Furthermore, when such water is processed in water treatment plants, the high load of organic detritus reacts with chlorine to form carcinogens known as trihalomethanes. Water-soluble compounds toxic to the nervous system and liver are released when cyanobacterial blooms die or are ingested. These can kill livestock and may pose a serious health hazard to humans.
I don’t know if that’s exactly what’s going on in this pond, but it is adjacent to a golf course, which may or may not be treated with pesticides.
I also noticed litter in the parking lots, which is nothing new. It’s not restricted to Goodwin Park either. On the Hartford side of Elizabeth Park, I routinely find plastic bottles, broken glass, and occasionally, condoms. It’s hard not to notice that when I cross Prospect, there’s considerably less trash on the West Hartford side. While I have not been to Keney Park in some time, I’ve heard there’s a bit of a trash problem there too.
