Especially in the 19th century, inorganic mercury in the form of mercuric nitrate was commonly used in the production of felt for hats.
The principal source of human exposure to organic mercury is via fish consumption and for inorganic mercury is dental amalgams.
A urine mercury analysis (atomic absorption testing, which analyzes both organic and inorganic mercury).
Methylmercury is formed from inorganic mercury by the action of anaerobic organisms that live in aquatic systems including lakes, rivers, wetlands, sediments, soils and the open ocean.
This methylation process converts inorganic mercury to methylmercury in the natural environment.
Some elemental and chemical forms of mercury (vapor, methylmercury, inorganic mercury) are more toxic than other forms.
Another theory is of geothermal springs being the source for inorganic mercury in Clear Lake, as there are abundant springs emanating from the lake bed.
The limit value for metallic, inorganic mercury in blood is 25 micrograms, and that for organic mercury compounds is 100 micrograms.
Dimercaprol has been found to form stable chelates with many other toxic metals including inorganic mercury, antimony, bismuth, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, gold, and nickel.
It does, however, remove inorganic mercury from the kidneys; but is not useful in the treatment of alkylmercury or phenyl mercury toxicity.