Behind the vibrant beauty of a fresh bouquet lies a potential health hazard that few customers consider. Florists across the UK are raising the alarm about chronic exposure to pesticide residues on imported flowers, linking it to serious, long-term illnesses.
A Florist's Health Crisis
In December 2024, Madeline King, a 30-year-old florist from Minneapolis, experienced a wave of dizziness so severe it forced a career-ending decision. After eight years building a successful business, she closed her shop. For years, she had battled unexplained fatigue, headaches, nausea, and brain fog. She now believes these debilitating symptoms were caused by prolonged exposure to pesticides on the flowers she handled daily.
"It was definitely earth shattering," King said. "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?"
Her story is not isolated. Unlike with food, there are no legal upper limits for pesticide residue on flowers in the EU, UK, or US. While this makes superficial sense—people don't eat roses—it ignores the occupational hazard for the thousands of workers who handle stems for hours each day.
The Invisible Threat in Supply Chains
The UK imports roughly 85% of its cut flowers, according to the British Florist Association (BFA). Many arrive via opaque supply chains from major growers in Ecuador, Colombia, Kenya, and Ethiopia, where pesticide regulations can be less stringent. Chemicals are used extensively to protect blooms from pests and ensure uniform, blemish-free flowers year-round.
Nick Mole, policy manager at the charity Pesticide Action Network (PAN), describes these bouquets as potential "toxic bombs" for those who handle them professionally. The chemicals can be absorbed through skin contact or inhaled.
The human cost is becoming tragically clear. In a landmark French case, the death of 11-year-old Emmy Marivain from cancer was officially linked by France's Pesticide Victims Compensation Fund to her mother's occupational exposure during pregnancy. Laure Marivain, a florist, told Le Monde: "If someone had warned me, my daughter would still be here."
Researchers Jean-Noël Jouzel and Giovanni Prete are investigating links between parental exposure and paediatric diseases, interviewing multiple florists whose children have developed cancer or neurodevelopmental disorders. "The relationship is never clearcut," Jouzel admits, "but it's very plausible."
Lack of Data and Awareness
Scientific data remains scarce, but existing studies are concerning. A 2018 Belgian study analysed 90 bouquets and found 107 different pesticides. Traces of 70 were detected in the florists' urine—despite them wearing two pairs of gloves. Exposure to one pesticide, clofentezine, was four times higher than the acceptable threshold. The EU has since banned it over cancer and birth defect risks.
Professor Michael Eddleston, a clinical toxicology expert at the University of Edinburgh, points out a critical gap: "What I would worry about as a florist is long-term chronic exposure to multiple pesticides ... which are simply not being controlled and that can't be safe."
Yet, awareness within the trade is shockingly low. Many florists, like London-based Sean Daly of Chelsea Flowers, report the issue has "never come up." In contrast, Durham-based grower and florist Roisin Taylor is using social media to warn others. "It's a very scary thing to hear," she says. "So understandably quite a lot of florists are quite resistant to talking about it. And also, it's women, so no one cares."
Angela Oliver, CEO of the BFA, confirms there are no publicly available occupational hazard guidelines specifically for florists in the UK. While some training courses mention personal protective equipment (PPE), it is not mandatory, and many learn on the job without safety instruction.
Calls for Change and Protective Measures
Following the French tragedy, France has launched a study into florists' exposure, which may lead to new regulations like residue limits. Consumer groups are demanding compulsory chemical labelling on flowers.
In the UK, florists like Amy Aniceto, founder of Sweet Frank Flowers in London, are calling for more information. "By the time I'm handling these flowers with gloves, what is my exposure level? It's just impossible to find that research," she says.
For those remaining in the industry, Madeline King advises practical steps: always wear gloves, use air purifiers, ensure ventilation, and source more locally grown, seasonal flowers to reduce exposure.
"Floristry is beautiful," King reflects, "and there's so many people that have amazing careers and make amazing things. I don't want to demonise the industry, but I do think there's a really dark side to floristry that is just not talked about." As margins shrink and prices rise, addressing this invisible risk becomes ever more urgent for the predominantly female workforce at the heart of Britain's floral trade.
