Chemical substances on the frontiers of health security: Metrological controversies over endocrine disruptors and low doses

Abstract

The issue of low doses already has a long history. Initially linked with radioactivity, it can be traced through a series of metrological controversies about the evaluation of health and environmental risks. Building on recent developments, including the increased public profile of endocrine disruptors, this article offers an exploration of the different epistemic logics at work in research environments and of the expertise brought to bear on low doses. Based on an analysis of documents, participant observation in groups of experts, and a series of interviews, it examines the cognitive support and techniques used by the actors, and the practicalities of what some of them have called a ‘paradigm shift’, leading to the redefinition of the concepts and tools of toxicology in the 21st century.