Jiang Li lost her pregnancy when she was only three months along, and she is fairly certain that her job was responsible.  A manager in the product maintenance section of a Chinese Ikea plant, Jiang said exposure to “three times the State’s standard” level of methanol from the windowless room where products were returned likely contributed to the loss.

Ikea, meanwhile, says the miscarriage was probably due to her “unhealthy lifestyle” because other women who worked there managed to give birth.

Via China.org:

Ikea, however, said Jiang had an unhealthy lifestyle and she had an abortion of her own accord. It said Jiang had many chances to come in contact with methanol outside the workplace, and there was no evidence that exposure to methanol would cause a miscarriage.

“Many female Ikea staff have successfully given birth to their children while working at the company over the past years,” Ikea told the court.

Jiang was told she would be let go from her position when she had the room tested for the gas by an outside agency.