Film review: Unacceptable Levels (2013)

Unacceptable Levels looks at the widespread use of artificial chemicals and their effects on the natural environment and human health.

Filmmaker Ed Brown examines how wide of an impact the chemical revolution of the 1940s has had. Today, over 80,000 chemicals flow through our system of commerce and as a result, around 200 synthetic industrial chemicals are interacting with the cells in our body every day, but we still don’t understand their full effects.

The film speaks to experts in a variety of fields, including science, advocacy and law, in order to understand if these chemicals are causing issues such as cancer and interfering with immune systems and development.

Jennifer Sass, a senior scientist at Natural Resources Defence Council, is one of the interviewees. She says, “Almost all of our consumer products are made up of chemicals and a lot of those chemicals are harmful.”

Personal stories and compelling narratives are used throughout to show the cost of using such chemicals and add a human side to the story in a bid to inspire action.

The film is certainly eye-opening and poses a challenge to companies and governments to make changes in order to combat the threat chemicals can pose, whilst acting as a call for consumers to change their shopping habits.