Genotoxicity of heavy metals to the larvae of Chironomus        kiiensis Tokunaga after short-term exposure.
The genotoxic effects of increasing concentrations (below lethal concentration [LC₅₀]) of cadmium ([Cd] 0.1, 1 and 10 mg/L), copper ([Cu] 0.2, 2 and 20 mg/L) and zinc ([Zn] 0.5, 5 and 50 mg/L) on Chironomus kiiensis were evaluated using alkaline comet assay after exposure for 24 h. Both the tail moment and the olive tail moment showed significant differences between the control and different concentrations of Cd, Cu and Zn (Kruskal-Wallis, p < 0.05). The highest concentration of Cd was associated with higher DNA damage to C. kiiensis larvae compared with Cu and Zn. The potential genotoxicity of these metals to C. kiiensis was Cd > Cu > Zn.
School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia. alshami200@gmail.com
Salman A
SA
Al-Shami
Che Salmah Md
CS
Rawi
Abu Hassan
AH
Ahmad
Siti Azizah Mohd
SA
Nor
D000818:Animals; D002683:Chironomidae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D020552:Comet Assay; D004249:DNA Damage; D054750:Ecotoxicology; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000633:toxicity*; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D019216:Metals, Heavy; D009153:Mutagens