From: Bill Marsh (redcloud54@earthlink.net)
Date: 06/16/03-10:35:33 AM Z
Devra,
I was once told by Kodak, in response to the very same
question, that most of their chems are biodegradable within
24 hours, especially the developers. They recommended that
developer be neutralized by stop bath before dumping. Some
caveats they threw in were fixer (laden with silver salts)
and selenium toner, neither being damaging to septic tanks
but capable of depositing heavy metals in the environment.
I always tried to reclaim the silver from used fixer and
collected old selenium toner in jugs for disposal at a
nearby university's toxic collection site.
As for alt processes, I once killed a septic tank using
potassium oxalate developer for platinum. Had to have it
pumped out and "restarted." Ammonium citrate did not have
this effect.
Kodak has a pamphlet they send out on this topic, and it may
have changed considerably since I asked for one. You should
seek out the latest info from them. We are in a fairly
toxic endeavor in photography, and I'm sure you'll get lots
of conflicting advice on this subject.
Bill
Devra Goldberg wrote:
> this afternoon as i was dumping my tmax developer down
> the drain it occurred to me that, contrary to my
> baltimore city sewer system for 9 months of the year,
> my parents have a septic tank in the backyard.
>
> i've been using cyanotype, van dyke, and gum
> chemistry, as well as the occasional film processing
> chemistry (just tmax down the drain, of course)...are
> any of these ok to be dumping down a septic system?
>
> devra
>
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