The chemical is used to purify domestic drinking water.
14ymedio, Santiago de Cuba, 25 November 2025 — The official journalist Cuscó Tarradell, in a Facebook post quoting the Municipal Assembly’s Communications Department, warned that two people had died in Santiago de Cuba after being exposed to a highly toxic substance sold as “alum bleach”.
According to information released by Tarradell, the two victims were university workers. Meanwhile, those allegedly responsible for marketing the counterfeit product stole a batch of industrial bleach from the Mar Verde warehouses and relabelled it to pass it off as “alum bleach”. The compound circulating on the informal market is a highly dangerous industrial chemical, even if ingested in small quantities.
The compound that is circulating is a highly dangerous industrial chemical.
Authentic alum is a mineral salt that has traditionally been used to help purify water. When added to liquid, it allows dirt and suspended particles to clump together and sink to the bottom, making it easier to filter and improving clarity. The product has been used for decades in basic domestic and community water purification processes, always in small quantities and under controlled conditions.
When reporting the information Tarradell also called for local authorities and the Santiago Water Company, to address the poor quality of the water being distributed, which forces many Santiago residents to seek substances on their own to clarify it. This need, he warned, leaves the population exposed to scams and dangerous compounds such as counterfeit “alum bleach”.
The poor quality of the water supplied through the pipes has worsened following Hurricane Melissa’s passage through the eastern part of the country. Residents in the city of Santiago de Cuba complain that the water supplied to them is earthy in colour, contains suspended particles and often has a bad smell.
Following the incident involving the fake “alum bleach”, the authorities advise against consuming chemicals purchased on the street, even if they are presented as known substances, and to always check the origin and labelling of any compound intended for water treatment or domestic use.
The deaths of two people as a result of exposure to this chemical have not been reported by the official press. The local newspaper Sierra Maestra, both on its website and on its Facebook page, has not reported on the deaths or on the investigation against those accused of marketing the product.
Translated by GH
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