Some conspiracy theorists believe the white trails left by airplanes in the sky are "chemtrails," toxic chemicals supposedly added to the atmosphere by governments or other nefarious actors.
There's no evidence of this, as scientists and airplane pilots have repeatedly maintained, yet claims to the contrary continue to circulate on social media.
A Nov. 29 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) features three images that the post claims show "barrel's (sic) of chemtrails" inside various aircraft. The post was shared more than 500 times in one week.
But the claim is false.
The bottom photos show different kinds of ballast barrels filled with water. Ballast barrels are commonly used by aircraft manufacturers to control the center of gravity and simulate the weight of passengers on test flights for new planes.
The top photo shows fuel tanks used for long-distance flights.
USA TODAY reached out to the Facebook user who shared the post for comment.
The containers featured in the post’s top image are marked with the Hawaiian Airlines logo. Alex Da Silva, a representative for Hawaiian Airlines, confirmed the containers fuel tanks used for long-distance flights.
“These are fuel tanks used to boost the range of our short-haul 717s when we need to fly them longer distances for heavy maintenance," Da Silva said in an email to USA TODAY.
The bottom right...
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