The reliability of Thiocyanate measurement of smoking exposure

Procedures for the determination of thiocyanate (SCN) levels in saliva samples were evaluated in a series of three experiments. Laboratory analysis procedures as well as sampling and storage conditions were examined to identify sources of measurement error in the assessment of SCN. The results of the study indicated that spectrophotometric analysis of saliva samples can be a reliable method of determining SCN levels. Also, storage containers, length of storage and storage temperatures can lead to critical differences in SCN level when saliva samples were not analyzed immediately after sampling. Guidelines for the assessment of saliva SCN are provided in a discussion of the results.