Pesticides in Floristry: Health Risks for Workers

On a cold morning in ⁢December 2024, ‍florist Madeline king was on⁢ a buying trip to her local wholesaler when a wave of dizziness nearly knocked​ her ⁢over. As rows of roses seemed​ to rush past her, ⁣she ⁤tried to⁤ focus. She quickly ‌picked the blooms she needed and left.

I’m not doing ‍this‍ any more,she ‌thought.

That month,after eight years,she closed her⁢ Minneapolis-based florist.She‍ had ⁤started⁣ the business aged ‍22,⁤ transforming it from a⁢ one-woman show operating out of her dad’s ⁤warehouse into a 10-person team, creating extravagant floral displays ⁣for weddings and ⁢building a loyal social media following.The dizziness⁤ she experienced that day wasn’t new. By that ‌point King,30,had spent years battling ⁢fatigue,headaches and nausea.Her brain was foggy. She’d walk into ⁤rooms and forget why she was there. Now,she believes ⁣her symptoms⁤ were ⁣a⁣ result of pesticide exposure.

“It was definitely earth ⁢shattering,” she says over⁤ Zoom.⁣ “To find ​out⁤ that I feel this bad because of my job … is horrible and stressful. And also, why is no one talking about ​this?”

Many people don’t think of⁢ pesticides when they ​look at a bouquet of flowers. But they’re full ‌of them,according to Pesticide Action Network (PAN),a UK⁢ charity. Buying​ from your local⁢ supermarket‍ won’t necessarily‍ put you at risk, say⁢ experts​ – that falls to the growers and ‌florists who handle what the charity describes ⁣as​ “toxic bombs“.

Chemicals‍ protect flowers from disease and pests and, as customers want ⁣perfect blooms year-round, keep them looking uniform. But research shows they can‌ easily be ⁤absorbed⁢ through skin contact or inhalation by people exposed for hours every day.

Madeline King spent years⁤ suffering fatigue, headaches ‌and nausea. Photograph: Caroline yang/the Guardian

Unlike food,⁢ there is no upper limit on pesticide residue​ levels in flowers For years,Sarah king enjoyed ‍her job as a florist. ‌But after‍ a few⁣ years,‌ she began experiencing recurring illnesses – stomach bugs, flu, nausea -⁢ despite appearing healthy on paper.She visited a naturopathic doctor who discovered ​elevated liver enzymes in her blood tests, potentially indicating liver damage from poisoning.The doctor ‍suggested‌ pesticides as a possible cause.

King’s experience​ isn’t isolated. Florists,especially women,face important pesticide exposure due⁤ to the industry’s reliance on chemicals,especially in imported flowers. A recent investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and Unearthed found⁢ pesticide ⁣residues on roses from Kenya, including⁢ clofentezine, a chemical four times over ‌the acceptable threshold.The US Environmental Protection Agency has⁤ classified it as ‌a possible human carcinogen and, in 2023, it ‌ wasn’t approved⁢ for renewal by ⁣the⁢ EU due to its endocrine disrupting properties, which can cause cancer and birth defects.

The investigation revealed that ⁣workers handling the flowers frequently ‌enough don’t wear protective equipment,even ‍ pairs of gloves to handle flowers. Exposure to one particular pesticide, clofentezine, was four times higher than the acceptable threshold. The US ⁢Environmental Protection Agency has classified it as a possible human carcinogen and,in ⁢2023,it wasn’t approved for⁣ renewal by the EU because of​ its endocrine disrupting properties, ⁢which ‍can cause cancer ⁢and‍ birth defects.

In industries⁤ like cotton, there’s been a ⁣real effort to reduce chemical usage on farms, explains Michael‌ Eddleston, professor of clinical toxicology at the University of Edinburgh, who has spent decades researching pesticide deaths.⁤ The ‍problem with flowers, he says, is that no one’s ‌checking, ⁤so there’s no incentive to⁣ change decades-old practices.

Now,⁤ however, there is a small but growing ⁢call ‌to raise awareness among⁣ authorities and florists, a predominantly female workforce, ‌who ⁤are ‍exposed daily to residues but often don’t wear protective equipment – or don’t realise that they should.

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When I​ decided to train as a florist earlier this year while freelancing as a journalist, I didn’t⁣ use gloves for months. I had no idea I⁢ should.

Certain floristry courses ‌in the UK, such as those approved⁤ by the training and qualifications body City & Guilds, do teach students that employers should provide PPE, ‍including gloves. ‍But these courses are expensive and aren’t a mandatory requirement – many simply learn on the job.

Beyond ‍that,there are no occupational hazard guidelines publicly ‌available for ‍florists,according to Oliver. The organisation itself publishes information on workplace health ​and‌ safety policies, but ⁢you need to⁢ be ⁢a⁢ paid member to⁢ access ​it.

“This is part of why the trade association ⁣exists,” she⁢ says. “To try to‌ get everybody ​singing from the same hymn sheet.”

A⁤ few years ago, French ‍guidelines‌ listed risks like cuts and working in cold environments, but there‍ was⁤ virtually no mention of pesticides. After public outcry over Emmy Marivain’s death, that has ​gradually started to change. The government also launched ‌a study to assess flower‌ industry workers’ ⁢exposure to pesticides. Although the conclusions​ aren’t expected​ for another few⁣ years,‌ French media say ‌ it should lead to proposals ⁣for regulatory‌ changes, such as setting maximum ‌pesticide residue limits for flowers.in the meantime, UFC-Que Choisir, a French consumer ‌organisation, ⁣is demanding‍ more ‌immediate measures, such as compulsory labelling to better ‍inform people about the chemicals sprayed ⁢on flowers.

But many florists only hear about the risks through ‌word of mouth or reading the news. Roisin Taylor, the Durham-based grower who has mostly worked with⁢ locally grown stems, says the chalky film that covers⁣ her ‍hands when‌ she touches⁤ imported flowers‌ is obvious.And she knows to wash her hands ⁢thoroughly before she eats lunch.”but if you had no education ⁤in this ⁢… your baseline as a florist is ⁢maybe thinking: it’s⁤ just dust,”⁢ she says.‌ “It’s not dust. It’s chemicals.”

Kally Spencer-Townson, a 35-year-old freelance florist and gardener in Gloucestershire in the UK, says she only became aware⁤ of the risks of pesticides after reading⁣ about⁢ Emmy Marivain’s death. She now ⁢always wears gloves. “I just thought, I’ve ⁤definitely been⁢ ingesting whatever pesticides were on these flowers,” she says. “It is unsettling.” She says she has seen florists cut pizza with their scissors – the same scissors that have already touched ​hundreds of stems that day.