Vol. 3, Issue 6, Part F (2017)

Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate if occupational exposure to automobile exhaust could cause alterations in the levels of antioxidants and in relevant salivary parameters in traffic police. Saliva was collected and assayed for lactate dehydrogenase, amylase, malondialdehyde, glutathione and total antioxidant activity in healthy traffic police and their non-traffic counterparts. The collection of saliva is easy, non-invasive and does not need the services of trained staff, factors useful in large population based studies. The results showed that when compared to the non-traffic police, the biochemical changes in saliva were more pronounced in traffic police and was significant (p< 0.0001; p< 0.002). Our study indicates noteworthy oxidative stress and enhanced cell health in police personnel chronically exposed to automobile exhaust. The results also indicate that saliva could be used as alternative to blood and is useful to assess oxidative stress in people working in environmentally hazardous conditions.