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The Provincial Delegation of Hydraulic Resources of Santiago de Cuba issued an urgent alert to the public on Monday regarding the illegal sale of a product known as “alum”, which is being distributed in the streets as a supposed water purifier, despite posing a serious health risk.
"It is advised that all residents of Santiago de Cuba refrain from purchasing the product known as 'alum', which is being sold illegally on the streets. This product poses a serious health risk," states the statement issued by the organization on social media.
The announcement comes after two workers from the University of Santiago de Cuba died after consuming "alumbre," which is actually an industrial bleach taken from the warehouses of Mar Verde, according to the official profile Comunicación Asamblea Santiago Cuba on social media.
The announcement has sparked a wave of outrage among the residents of Santiago, who claim that the scarcity and poor quality of the water that reaches their homes have forced them to resort to alternative methods to be able to consume it.
In the post shared by the communicator Yosmany Mayeta Labrada, dozens of users held the Cuban government responsible for the situation.
“Whose fault is it that we are dying for buying alum more than two months ago to clarify the water that should have arrived already filtered?” wrote a user.
Another internet user commented: “If they sent clear water, there would be no need to buy alum.”
The user I. Nodarse, who stated she is not from Santiago, asked what exactly the product was, while others pointed out that it is a type of phosphate or industrial bleach that some people use to “clarify the water,” without knowing its toxic effects.
The use of "alumbre" has become common in Santiago due to the crisis in the supply of drinking water, as the liquid that comes through the pipes is murky and there is a shortage of purifying products in pharmacies and markets.
"The people are buying anything to make the water clear. Here, the water comes dirty, with a smell, and the children get sick. The blame is on the government, not the people," wrote Dennis Oliva, another resident of Santiago.
Several users reported that the lack of state control and the black market allows unscrupulous sellers to offer chemicals unsuitable for human consumption.
“The people, in their pursuit of money, sell their souls to the devil. It doesn’t matter who they harm. When they get caught, let them be the ones to take it,” wrote Zoila Paumier in a comment filled with outrage.
Although Hydraulic Resources warned about the danger of the product, it did not specify what type of chemical compound it contains or what symptoms its consumption may cause.
Alum, chemically known as potassium aluminum sulfate (KAl(SO₄)₂·12H₂O), is commonly used as a coagulant in water treatment.
Its function is to group and settle the suspended particles to clarify the liquid before consumption, but it does not serve to disinfect and should not be ingested directly.
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