Pesticides sprayed in cabins of some international flights

Apparently this practise has been going on for decades and most airlines have phased it out but it's still at the pilots discretion in some cases and some countries mandate that planes be sprayed. Most of the time it is done before the passengers board but not all the time.

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No U.S. agency requires pesticide use on planes. The US Department of Transportation website lists the countries that require in-flight spraying, and those that will accept the "residual" treatment as an alternative. Six countries currently require pesticide spraying on all inbound flights: Grenada, India, Kiribati, Madagascar, Trinidad and Tobago and Uruguay. The application method varies by country and airline. Typically, a pressurized spray containing 2% phenothrin is sprayed over the passengers' heads during the flight (also called "top-of-descent") or upon arrival, but while the doors are closed. Alternatively, cabin crew may spray the occupied cabin prior to departure after the doors have been closed ("blocks away"). A member of the crew will announce the procedure shortly before they spray.

 

Another six countries: Australia, Barbados, Fiji, Jamaica, New Zealand and Panama require the use of residual pesticides. In this case applicators board the aircraft and spray every surface in the cabin with a solution that contains 2% permethrin. This process takes place shortly before crew and passengers board, without their knowledge. Babies and children are said to be more sensitive to the effects of permethrin. Once an aircraft has been residually treated, foreign quarantine officials will allow it to land without additional pesticide treatment for the next 56 days.

Passengers flying on US domestic flights may find themselves on an airliner that has recently been sprayed. United Airlines, for example, treats all of its 747-400 aircraft in Hong Kong. These aircraft are not restricted to the South Pacific routes; they are simply scheduled to fly to Australia or New Zealand during the next 56 days, but in the meantime, can be flown on both international and domestic routes.

The International Civil Aviation Organization reports that most airlines use permethrin and pyrethroid, both are suspected endocrine disruptors, and permethrin may be a carcinogen. The Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP) points out that pesticides cause even greater harm on airplanes, where up to 50% of the air in the cabins is recycled. "Pesticides break down slowly in the enclosed, poorly ventilated aircraft," says a NCAP spokesperson.

 

The airlines are not required to inform passengers at ticket purchase of flight sprays, and there is also no control over how much pesticide is applied on the aircraft. The Association of Flight Attendants reported in 2001 that one airline used 50-60% more pesticide than the maximum recommended by the World Health Organization. Between 2000 and 2001, one cabin crew union received complaints of pesticide-related illness on more than 200 flights. Many complaints cite damp surfaces and pesticide odors in crew rest compartments. Crews and passengers have reported sinus problems, swollen and itchy eyes, cough, difficulty breathing, hoarseness, skin rashes/hives that vary in intensity, severe headaches and fatigue, and heightened sensitivity to other chemicals. Some crew members have medical documentation of reactions consistent with nerve gas exposure, such as blood, optic nerve, and nervous system abnormalities.

Now for someone that never uses pesticides around the house, (i have a fly killer, will swat), this sort of thing is quite alarming. Sure i understand about the insect threat to national food security, especially in places like australia. But what about people with sensitivities to these chemicals or those that have prolonged exposure to them. Apparently flight attendants have started to bring cases against airlines for these practises. It's just funny that i never knew about this before. So unusual that i thought i'd bring it to everybody's attention.

Pretty unusual, especially since pesticides are pretty unhealthy. Also, the reasoning why airliners use pesticides is lost on me.

  On 5/26/2014 at 3:33 PM, Phoenix said:

Pretty unusual, especially since pesticides are pretty unhealthy. Also, the reasoning why airliners use pesticides is lost on me.

To stop the transport of parasites and stuff I guess? I've been on many planes and on several occasions I've picked up a nasty cold which I would expect to be from the flight. All of those people in that cabin for extended time with any sort of nasty little pest, or something, could be bad news.

Not that I agree with it being done without consent, and it's pretty weird that this isn't common knowledge already.

I've been on a few flights that have had pesticides sprayed. Last time from Reunion to Madagascar and back. I can understand the practice because you really don't want mosquito-borne diseases like chikungunya spreading in the tropics.

I got this recently. I covered myself with the inflight rag thing they give you to sleep under until I felt safe again.

Fuck that shit.

are you sure its pesticide? maybe someone just farted

They had an announcement first so I shrouded myself. I actually thought it was a terrorist attack for a bit, having not ever heard of the concept before.

Glad it is an actual thing.

It's pretty nasty but it's not as nasty as an outbreak of malaria in America or the UK.

been on loads of flights where they sprayed pesticides...never bothered me tbh...

It's mostly harmless. Only a few people have complained about it and they were conspiracy theorists determined to undermine authority that governs them. Snooze.

It's not really pesticide, it's like dettol or something. They should have hosed most of the passengers down with it on that Ryan Air flight i took last year.

bedbugs? Seattle area has been experiencing an outbreak a while back and the newspapers were saying it was coming from how much immigration our area has from south-east Asia.

The news could also be racist, it's not a stretch of the imagination by any means.

  On 5/26/2014 at 11:52 PM, BCM said:

been on loads of flights where they sprayed pesticides...never bothered me tbh...

i guess you are okay with the government spraying cancer giving, iq lowering, sterilization liquid

but seriously like someone said, is spraying this stuff worse than a malaria outbreak?

  On 5/27/2014 at 12:31 AM, Audioblysk said:

bedbugs? Seattle area has been experiencing an outbreak a while back and the newspapers were saying it was coming from how much immigration our area has from south-east Asia.

No that was just Seattle residents not washing their bedsheets often enough

  On 5/27/2014 at 12:36 AM, Deer said:

 

 

but seriously like someone said, is spraying this stuff worse than a malaria outbreak?

 

Well of course it could be that spraying these pesticides does more harm than good. This is the big problem with Population Ethics: we'll never be able to glimpse how the world would've been where we didn't spray these pesticides. Maybe it's saved hundreds of thousands of lives. Maybe it's done nothing except increase the risk of health problems for the passengers.

I always try to keep this conundrum in mind when considering big issues. I am pretty far-left politically but I always try to keep an eye on the Trolley Problem (which is the essence of Population Ethics boiled down to a single, manageable scenario).

  On 5/27/2014 at 1:00 AM, LimpyLoo said:

 

  On 5/27/2014 at 12:36 AM, Deer said:

 

 

but seriously like someone said, is spraying this stuff worse than a malaria outbreak?

 

 

Well of course it could be that spraying these pesticides does more harm than good. This is the big problem with Population Ethics: we'll never be able to glimpse how the world would've been where we didn't spray these pesticides. Maybe it's saved hundreds of thousands of lives. Maybe it's done nothing except increase the risk of health problems for the passengers.

 

I always try to keep this conundrum in mind when considering big issues. I am pretty far-left politically but I always try to keep an eye on the Trolley Problem (which is the essence of Population Ethics boiled down to a single, manageable scenario).

 

Don't worry, they'd support starting their day with donkey shit breakfast cereal if it was government approved.

  On 5/27/2014 at 1:11 AM, delet... said:

 

  On 5/27/2014 at 1:00 AM, LimpyLoo said:

 

  On 5/27/2014 at 12:36 AM, Deer said:

 

 

but seriously like someone said, is spraying this stuff worse than a malaria outbreak?

 

 

Well of course it could be that spraying these pesticides does more harm than good. This is the big problem with Population Ethics: we'll never be able to glimpse how the world would've been where we didn't spray these pesticides. Maybe it's saved hundreds of thousands of lives. Maybe it's done nothing except increase the risk of health problems for the passengers.

 

I always try to keep this conundrum in mind when considering big issues. I am pretty far-left politically but I always try to keep an eye on the Trolley Problem (which is the essence of Population Ethics boiled down to a single, manageable scenario).

 

 

Don't worry, they'd support starting their day with donkey shit breakfast cereal if it was government approved.

 

delet, so edgy, so raw.

Did your day start with a bowl of donkey shit breakfast cereal? If you did, you'd realize it gives you all the government approved and safe electrolytes. DIG IN JOHNNY.

I like it drenched in permitrin juice. With a side order of toasted yellowcake washed down with a refreshing glass of agent orange juice.

Not edgy. just annoyed, you know how it is.

I'm not following, Delet.

next time I go into a plane I'm gonna go "fluoride 9/11 JFK" and recite eugene posts.

should clear everything up imo

lol

  On 5/27/2014 at 12:36 AM, Deer said:

 

  On 5/26/2014 at 11:52 PM, BCM said:

been on loads of flights where they sprayed pesticides...never bothered me tbh...

 

i guess you are okay with the government spraying cancer giving, iq lowering, sterilization liquid

 

 

 

but seriously like someone said, is spraying this stuff worse than a malaria outbreak?

 

  On 5/27/2014 at 4:17 AM, Alcofribas said:

next time I go into a plane I'm gonna go "fluoride 9/11 JFK" and recite eugene posts.

 

should clear everything up imo

u do that m8

fwiw I think the spraying itself isn't terrible, but

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The airlines are not required to inform passengers at ticket purchase of flight sprays, and there is also no control over how much pesticide is applied on the aircraft.

that's some bullshit.

especially when the next few sentences say that

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Between 2000 and 2001, one cabin crew union received complaints of pesticide-related illness on more than 200 flights. Many complaints cite damp surfaces and pesticide odors in crew rest compartments. Crews and passengers have reported sinus problems, swollen and itchy eyes, cough, difficulty breathing, hoarseness, skin rashes/hives that vary in intensity, severe headaches and fatigue, and heightened sensitivity to other chemicals. Some crew members have medical documentation of reactions consistent with nerve gas exposure, such as blood, optic nerve, and nervous system abnormalities.

I mean seriously? Skin rashes, difficulty breathing, and swollen itchy eyes? I'd be in a fucking panic if that was happening to me in the middle of a flight.

  On 5/27/2014 at 5:04 AM, luke viia said:

fwiw I think the spraying itself isn't terrible, but

 

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The airlines are not required to inform passengers at ticket purchase of flight sprays, and there is also no control over how much pesticide is applied on the aircraft.

 

that's some bullshit.

 

especially when the next few sentences say that

 

  Quote

 

Between 2000 and 2001, one cabin crew union received complaints of pesticide-related illness on more than 200 flights. Many complaints cite damp surfaces and pesticide odors in crew rest compartments. Crews and passengers have reported sinus problems, swollen and itchy eyes, cough, difficulty breathing, hoarseness, skin rashes/hives that vary in intensity, severe headaches and fatigue, and heightened sensitivity to other chemicals. Some crew members have medical documentation of reactions consistent with nerve gas exposure, such as blood, optic nerve, and nervous system abnormalities.

 

I mean seriously? Skin rashes, difficulty breathing, and swollen itchy eyes? I'd be in a fucking panic if that was happening to me in the middle of a flight.

Yeah wtf is that shit. Informed consent, motherfuckers*.

*except when doctors want to prescribe harmless placebos

  On 5/27/2014 at 4:17 AM, Alcofribas said:

next time I go into a plane I'm gonna go "fluoride 9/11 JFK" and recite eugene posts.

 

should clear everything up imo

lel