"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."
Florist Madeline King experienced recurring dizziness, fatigue, headaches, nausea and cognitive fog that she attributes to pesticide exposure from handling cut flowers. She closed her Minneapolis-based florist after eight years because symptoms worsened during routine wholesale buying trips. Growers use pesticides to protect flowers from disease and pests and to meet consumer demand for uniform, year-round blooms. Pesticide residue on cut flowers can be absorbed through skin contact or inhalation by workers exposed for hours daily. Unlike food, there is no upper legal limit for pesticide residues on flowers in the EU, UK or US. Many growers and florists face occupational health risks from these chemical practices.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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