A study of genotoxicity and oxidative stress induced by mercuric chloride in the marine polychaete Perinereis aibuhitensis

The marine polychaete worm Perinereis aibuhitensis was used to study the genotoxic effects of mercuric chloride by means of the comet assay and micronucleus (MN) test. P. aibuhitensis was subjected in vivo to two different concentrations of mercuric chloride (0.05 mg L−1 and 0.5 mg L−1) for 96 h. The comet assay of coelomocytes demonstrated that TailDNA% values increased with extended exposure to or increased concentrations of HgCl2 (p