The DEB Theory for understanding the effects of Chronic Low Doses on living organisms

The risks of exposure to low doses of stressors (radioelements, radionuclides, chemical pollutants) for health and the environment have not yet been clearly identified, but society is already concerned about them. The IRSN has attempted, through several theses, to define the parameters of the dynamic energy budget (DEB) theory for species representative of environmental biodiversity, in order to test the existence of transmission of damage down through the generations and to identify bio-markers, the precursory signs of toxic effects following chronic exposure at low doses. In a first phase, this theory was applied for exposure to uranium, with a view to extending it to other types of exposure, especially at low doses of external radiation. (authors)