Local Flowers Offer a Better Way: The Hidden Health Costs of Pesticides

Flowers are among the simplest expressions of beauty and joy. We admire their color, appreciate their fragrance, and enjoy the beauty they bring into our lives. But the journey from field to vase raises a question worth considering: should something intended to bring joy come at the expense of someone else's health?

Most cut flowers travel thousands of miles before reaching a florist's studio. Along the way, they may pass through a succession of farms, packing facilities, exporters, importers, and wholesalers. By the time they arrive, their growing history is often reduced to little more than a country-of-origin label. What that label rarely reveals is how the flowers were cultivated, or what was applied along the way.

Pesticides are a routine part of conventional flower production. Insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides are used to protect crops, prevent disease, and produce the uniform, easily transportable flowers the global market relies on. But these chemicals don't simply disappear after they've done their job. They can leave residue on the flowers themselves and affect the health of the people who work with them every day.

What Pesticides Do Inside the Body

Pesticides are designed to interfere with biological processes. Depending on the chemical, they may disrupt an insect's nervous system, interfere with its ability to reproduce, or prevent a plant from growing. Some of these same biological pathways have counterparts in the human body.

The endocrine system is particularly vulnerable. Responsible for regulating everything from metabolism and thyroid function to fertility and pregnancy, this intricate network depends on precise hormonal signals. Certain pesticides can mimic natural hormones or interfere with the body's ability to regulate them.

A 2023 analysis found increased odds of hypothyroidism among people exposed to several classes of insecticides and herbicides (Sirikul and Sapbamrer 2023). Another study examining flower farmworkers in Mexico found associations between pesticide exposure and changes in thyroid hormone levels (Blanco-Muñoz et al. 2016). The implications reach well beyond thyroid function. Hormones regulate nearly every major system in the body, including reproductive health, metabolism, and neurological development.

The effects on the brain and mental health are equally concerning. A systematic review of 57 studies found higher rates of depressive disorders among agricultural workers exposed to pesticides. Workers who experience pesticide poisoning faced even greater mental health risks such as suicidality (Zanchi, Marins, and Zamoner 2023).

Among adolescents living in agricultural communities in Ecuador, higher concentrations of urinary pesticide metabolites were associated with lower scores in four of five cognitive domains, including attention, language, and social perception compared to their peers (Yen et al. 2025).

The liver is another important site of exposure. As the body's primary chemical-processing organ, it works continuously to metabolize substances that enter the bloodstream. Certain pesticides can damage liver cells and interfere with normal liver function.

A 2026 study in Taiwan found that abnormal liver function tests were 1.74 times as common among pesticide users as among non-users. The findings were especially concerning for people who applied pesticides using upward spraying techniques, which increase direct exposure (Liu, Kuo, and Guo 2026). High cumulative exposure to toxins, including pesticides, that enter the body via skin contact, ingestion, and breathing can overtax and damage the liver.

Pregnancy is a particularly important time to consider chemical exposure. During this period, a developing baby undergoes rapid cell division, organ formation, and neurological development. Some pesticides can cross the placenta, bringing environmental chemicals into direct contact with developing tissues.

A 2024 meta-analysis examining 18 studies and more than 439,000 participants found that women exposed to pesticides had a 41 percent higher relative risk of spontaneous abortion, commonly known as miscarriage, compared with women without reported exposure (Albadrani, Aljassim, and El-Tokhy 2024).

A separate 2026 review of 39 studies involving more than 24,500 participants across 17 countries found associations between maternal pesticide exposure and impaired fetal growth, shortened pregnancies, and an increased risk of preterm birth (Castelo Branco et al. 2026).

These findings are especially relevant to women working in agriculture and floriculture, where pesticide exposure can be a regular part of the workday rather than an occasional environmental encounter. Reducing unnecessary pesticide exposure during pregnancy is one way to help protect both maternal health and the developing child.

Certain pesticides have also been identified as potential human carcinogens. The International Agency for Research on Cancer, the cancer research agency of the World Health Organization, has classified several pesticides as probably carcinogenic to humans (IARC 2015).

Research has also linked occupational exposure to several pesticide groups with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer affecting the lymphatic system. A systematic review and meta-analysis examining nearly three decades of research found positive associations between the disease and exposure to certain herbicides and insecticides (Schinasi and Leon 2014). For agricultural workers who mix, apply, harvest, and handle treated crops over many years, these findings make occupational pesticide exposure an important consideration.

Handling the Flowers

The health conversation surrounding pesticides often stops at the farm gate. But flowers don't stop being handled once they've been harvested. The World Health Organization identifies people with direct occupational pesticide exposure as among those at greatest risk of adverse health effects (World Health Organization 2022). Florists spend hours every day cutting stems, stripping leaves, processing bunches, and assembling arrangements. Their hands repeatedly come into contact with flowers and foliage that may carry agricultural residues.

One study examining pesticide exposure among professional florists found 111 different pesticide active substances on the gloves of florists, with an average of approximately 37 substances per sample. The exposure assessment also identified several chemicals that exceeded occupational safety reference levels (Toumi et al. 2017).

The flowers may look pristine, but the surface of their petals, leaves, and stems can carry a complex mixture of agricultural chemicals. This is particularly concerning because florists are often unaware of what was applied to the flowers they purchase.

An International Industry with Uneven Standards

The global flower trade makes transparency particularly difficult. Pesticide regulations differ considerably between countries. A chemical that is prohibited or restricted in one country may still be legally used in another. Ornamental flowers are also frequently subject to different residue requirements than the food crops we consume.

A 2021 review of pesticide use in flower production identified approximately 201 pesticide compounds used in the industry and highlighted a significant gap in international regulation: importing countries generally do not establish pesticide residue limits for ornamental flowers. Of the 201 pesticides found 93 are currently banned in the European Union (Pereira et al. 2021).

Although Europe is widely recognized as the global pacesetter in environmental regulations, in 2025 the European Commission specifically acknowledged that there is currently no EU-wide legislation regulating pesticide residue levels on imported cut flowers (European Commission 2025). A flower may therefore cross several international borders carrying residues of chemicals that are restricted or prohibited in its destination market, without undergoing the same residue testing required of food products.

As flowers move through the supply chain, information about their growing conditions can become increasingly difficult to trace. Unless growers and suppliers maintain detailed application, records and share them with buyers, a florist may have little way of knowing what was applied, how recently it was used, or what residues remain. Knowing where flowers come from, who grows them, and how they are cultivated becomes increasingly important when those details aren't otherwise guaranteed.

A Better Way Forward

Although agricultural workers and florists face some of the most direct occupational exposure, pesticide use is a much broader public health consideration. The general population encounters pesticide residues through food and water, household pest treatments, lawn applications, and other environmental sources (World Health Organization 2022).

Reducing unnecessary exposure doesn't require us to fear every chemical or abandon modern agriculture. It does require us to think more carefully about which chemicals are used, how frequently they are applied, and who bears the consequences.

In the floral industry, that begins with the way flowers are grown.

Choosing flowers from growers who prioritize pesticide-free cultivation supports a different approach to flower production. For Flowers by Mandy, this is one of the reasons local sourcing matters so much. We know the Utah farms behind our flowers. We can speak directly with the people who grow them and understand the practices used in their fields. Our flowers are grown without pesticides, and that commitment is as important to us as their freshness, color, and beauty.

Flowers are meant to bring joy. The people who grow them, harvest them, and arrange them should be able to share in that joy without carrying an unnecessary chemical burden. There is a better way to grow beautiful things. The ultimate luxury is knowing that the beauty we bring into our lives didn't come at the expense of someone else's health.

Sources

Albadrani, Muayad Saud, Mohammed Tawfiq Aljassim, and Ahmed I. El-Tokhy. 2024. "Pesticide Exposure and Spontaneous Abortion Risk: A Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 284:117000. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.117000

Blanco-Muñoz, Julia, Marina Lacasaña, Inmaculada López-Flores, Miguel Rodríguez-Barranco, Beatriz González-Alzaga, Susana Bassol, Mariano E. Cebrian, Lizbeth López-Carrillo, and Clemente Aguilar-Garduño. 2016. "Association between Organochlorine Pesticide Exposure and Thyroid Hormones in Floriculture Workers." Environmental Research 150:357-63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2016.05.054

Castelo Branco, Sarah, Sandra Leal, Pedro Viana Pinto, and Susana Isabel Sá. 2026. "Pesticide Exposure during Pregnancy and the Risk of Adverse Maternal and Fetal Outcomes: A Systematic Review." Environmental Research 308(Part 2):125644. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2026.125644

European Commission. 2025. "Answer Given by Mr Várhelyi on Behalf of the European Commission: E-001338/2025." July 14. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-10-2025-001338-ASW_EN.pdf

IARC Working Group on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. 2017. Some Organophosphate Insecticides and Herbicides. IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, No. 112. Lyon, France: International Agency for Research on Cancer. https://publications.iarc.who.int/549

Liu, Yu-Chang, Tsung-Cheng Kuo, and How-Ran Guo. 2026. "Association between Pesticide Use and Liver Injury: A Field Study in Taiwan." Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health 52(5):606-14. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.4311

Pereira, Patrícia C. G., Cláudio E. T. Parente, Gabriel O. Carvalho, João P. M. Torres, Rodrigo O. Meire, Paulo R. Dorneles, and Olaf Malm. 2021. "A Review on Pesticides in Flower Production: A Push to Reduce Human Exposure and Environmental Contamination." Environmental Pollution 289:117817. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117817

Schinasi, Leah, and Maria E. Leon. 2014. "Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and Occupational Exposure to Agricultural Pesticide Chemical Groups and Active Ingredients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 11(4):4449-527. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph110404449

Sirikul, Wachiranun, and Ratana Sapbamrer. 2023. "Exposure to Pesticides and the Risk of Hypothyroidism: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." BMC Public Health 23(1):1867. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16721-5

Toumi, Khaoula, Laure Joly, Christiane Vleminckx, and Bruno Schiffers. 2017. "Risk Assessment of Florists Exposed to Pesticide Residues through Handling of Flowers and Preparing Bouquets." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 14(5):526. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14050526

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Yen, Jessica, Kun Yang, Tuo Lin, Xin M. Tu, Georgia Kayser, Rajendra P. Parajuli, Ana Skomal, Sheila Gahagan, Jose Suarez-Torres, Suzi Hong, Raeanne C. Moore, and Jose R. Suarez-Lopez. 2025. "Associations between Concurrent Neonicotinoid, Pyrethroid, and Organophosphate Insecticide Metabolites and Neurocognitive Performance in Ecuadorian Adolescents." Science of the Total Environment 1006:180808. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180808

Zanchi, Mariane Magalhães, Katiuska Marins, and Ariane Zamoner. 2023. "Could Pesticide Exposure Be Implicated in the High Incidence Rates of Depression, Anxiety and Suicide in Farmers? A Systematic Review." Environmental Pollution 331(Part 2):121888. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121888

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