Passengers deserve better info on in-flight insecticides: Calgary traveller
Last Updated: Monday, March 9, 2009 | 11:04 PM ET
CBC News
Amber Wright said she was shocked that flight attendants began spraying insecticide in the cabin as the Air Canada plane she was on was landing in Montego Bay. (CBC)A pregnant Calgary woman who was sprayed with an insecticide on a flight to Jamaica wants the practice to be publicized better to give passengers an informed choice about whether they want to take the trip.
Amber Wright, an engineer from Calgary, said she was excited as her Air Canada flight got ready to land in Montego Bay on Feb. 23, but an announcement was made that the cabin would have to be sprayed before the landing.
Wright said she and other passengers were puzzled because they were not told exactly what was going to be released into the plane.
"Five minutes later, flight attendants started marching down the aisles with … they looked like hairspray canisters and started misting the air," Wright told CBC News on Monday.
Alarmed, Wright grabbed a blanket to cover her body and face and held her breath as best she could.
"I was just trying not to breathe, thinking about being 10 weeks pregnant and worrying about what this unknown chemical, at the time, what effect it would have on my fetus," she recalled.
'I am upset that I wasn't given the chance to say no, that I wasn't given the chance to research what this product was and make an informed decision about whether or not I would allow myself to be exposed to it.'—Amber Wright, Air Canada passenger
Wright and her friend, who was also pregnant, asked the flight attendant to see the aerosol can and discovered the spray contained two per cent permethrin, a chemical commonly used in insect repellent.
The process, which is called disinsection, is a requirement of some tropical countries including Jamaica, Cuba and Australia. Cabins are fogged in order to kill pests carrying diseases that may harm crops or public health.
Calgary endocrinologist Hamid Habibi said high doses of permethrin could cause birth defects or cancer, but the chemical is generally safe at levels released on a plane.
"Unless they are exposed on a daily basis, I would not be very concerned," he said.
Wright said after researching the issue further on her return, she's no longer alarmed by possible health risks, but believes Air Canada should do a better job letting passengers know what will happen.
"I am upset that I wasn't given the chance to say no, that I wasn't given the chance to research what this product was and make an informed decision about whether or not I would allow myself to be exposed to it," she said. "Air Canada can't change the rules, but they can be more open about what's going to happen."
Air Canada spokeswoman Angela Mah said the company's procedures are approved by health authorities. "All of our procedures are clearly laid out on the website as well," she said.
Wright said the information should be made clear when people are buying their tickets.
WestJet said it sprays the insecticide before anyone gets on a plane.
