June 08, 2026 | Source: U.S. Right to Know | by Pamela Ferdinand

When Yesica Ramírez was pregnant, she spent her days mixing pesticides in giant vats at a Florida ornamental plant nursery. She wasn’t given a mask or gloves and couldn’t afford her own protective gear. Even as rashes spread across her arms and hands, she pulled her shirt over her mouth to avoid inhaling fumes.

“As a farm worker, you make a very low salary, and it’s either buy protective equipment or you feed your family,” said Ramirez. “I chose to feed my family.”

At the time, she said, chemical exposures at her workplace were rarely discussed. It wasn’t until a coworker discovered a manual describing pesticide hazards and the safety measures her employer should have followed that she realized the risks.

Months later, her daughter was born with craniosynostosis, a condition in which the bones of an infant’s skull fuse too early. The baby also developed eczema and sleep apnea.