Cabin Spray

[mourgo]

What is the spray flight attendants use before departure? It has only happened to me twice in Singapore they walk up and down the cabin spraying this chemical from canisters holding them up in the air?

[ihadcontrol]

I would think its a pesticide to kill any bugs inside the cabin? Stop any lil' nasties spreading around/annoying people in flight.

I had a fly keep bothering me on a '75 recently - wonder what it thought when it arrived in the Canaries!

[Cyclone733]

Probably insecticide if you were heading to Australia
Otherwise an industrial supply of perfume?

[18-Wheeler]

All aircraft inbound to Australia from any international destination require the cabin/freight bays sprayed for insect control.

[Nightrider]

Special aviation approved insecticide which has also to be used on all flights from outside Europe into France. Container is actually a very small spray bottle with 2 stickers, one to be removed and placed on a special document for inspection by authorities. Cargo area and cabin has to be sprayed, announcement to passengers should provide details that this is a legal requirement for certain flights and that the insecticide is harmless.
Does not need to be sprayed before departure, anytime during flight is acceptable.

Spraying of cargo bay often triggers fire alarm as bottles are activated and placed up-right on floor, after cargo door closing the spray creates a misty / foggy environment for the smoke detector and this makes the cockpit crew jumping off the seat as the passengers are already on the aircraft......

Leaves a lot of space for thinking but is a no-go item if no sprays are available before departure.

[Rwy in Sight]

Last October, on a flight from BAH to KUL the crew walked down the cabin at a brisk space holding the spray cans. No anouncement was made before of after. I assumed it was a requirement of the destination county but it seems it is more widespread.

Rwy in Sight

[indiscipline_girl]

Don't you get it?

It's one of the major sources of chemtrails. They spray it into the cabin where certain chemical reactions with human exhalant occur ( including the dreaded dihydrogen monoxide).

The resultant chemicals are then expelled via the outflow valves to the atmosphere.

No wonder the outflow valves need cleaning so often.

Didn't believe that stuff about spraying from the wings did you?

[JayEmKay]

Back in the late 1960s landing in the Seychelles, on arrival at the gate the front door would crack open and two guys from the ground would enter closing the door behind them.
They would then walk up and down the aircraft spraying the cans of 'deadly mist'.
The doors had to remain shut for quite a long time (can't remember how long now) before they would allow them open and the pax to get off the aircraft.
These two guys were doing this all day for each aircraft that arrived at the airport.

When one of them died, due we were told, to the effect of the 'deadly mist' they changed the proceedure to:
Open the door 2 inches, shove two cans of spray in and slam the door shut leaving the Cabin Crew to do the nasty work.

I don't know if this still goes on today as I have been long since retired.

[Pinkman]

I've co-authored some travel and other health publications for my industry (PM me if you want one), and its been interesting to see how the attitude on disinsection has changed over the years.

The chemical used in these sprays is a low dose of Permethrin, a pyrethroid common in household use. Permethrin is not bioaccumulative in mammals or birds (but it is in fish, perversely).

An often quoted paper giving the rationale for disinsection was:

http://www.winterthurhealthforum.ch/PDF/malariaaricraftdisinfection.pdf

There have been a number of challenges to the orthodoxy but the prevailing attitude seems to have been that the use of Permethrin in aircraft disinsection was safe (to humans), however while Permethrin may not be bioaccumulative it seems that a small number of people may be instantaneously sensitive either to it or the surfactants/propellants in the mix:

http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/ohsep/Documents/aircraftdisinsection.pdf


would be intersting to cross-post to the medical forum. I expect its been aired (thats a pun) on pprune before.

Rob

[Henry VIII]

I assumed it was a requirement of the destination county That's the reason.
Not meeting this requirement exposes the company to high fines.it seems that a small number of people may be instantaneously sensitive either to it or the surfactants/propellants in the mix:
Years ago a pax was instantly struck by anaphylactic shock and needed immediate medical assistance with injection to grant normal breath.

[bobrun]

Heard a long time ago that some airline will "soak" the whole cabin with the chemicals, while the aircraft is in the hangar for instance, so that the cabin crews don't have to spray the cans with the pax onboard. Looks better on the customer service front, but surely ain't better for your health.

Anyone heard or knows about this?

[esreverlluf]

It is more common these days (certainly for Australian and NZ airlines - not sure about others) for aircraft to have a residual disinsection treatment with an approved pyrethroid thereby negating the requirement for cabin sprays (unless the residual disinsection certificate has expired).

Disinsection, by either a residual agent or a manual cabin spray, is a requirement for entry to Australia and New Zealand (and possibly other places as well).

[mourgo]

Thanks for your help guys. Yes my flights were to Australia. But funny thing is
I travel often to Asia and Europe and only experience this on some airlines back to Oz.