Characterization of Metal Content in the Saliva of Firefighters: A Preliminary Study

Exposure to chemical pollutants, such as metals, can cause adverse health effects on human health. Firefighters are occupationally exposed to metals during firefighting activities as well as at fire stations. The aim of this study is to characterize the levels of metals in the saliva of firefighters during regular activities performed at fire stations. Non-smoking firefighters collected spot saliva samples during a regular working day at the fire station. Samples were treated and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The cumulative concentrations of the 16 metals in the saliva of firefighters varied from 10.87 to 73.64 µg/L (median of 25.40 µg/L). The individual metal concentrations ranged between 6.361 × 10–3 µg/L for Cd and 4.550 µg/L for Mn. The salivary metal concentrations determined in firefighters were lower than the values reported for workers from industries whereas the levels were higher than in non-smokers and non-occupationally exposed groups. The analysis of saliva is a promising biomonitoring tool to characterize occupational exposures to metals. Additional studies including a higher number of participants performing different tasks and the inclusion of other biological fluids are needed to corroborate these findings and to better characterize firefighters´ occupational exposure.