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Hi, I am quite a long way from getting my dark room functional (that's an understatement) but I was wondering in this day and age what is the 'enviromental' thing to do with exhausted chemicals, in particular colour dev and blix?

Cheers Dave

Well, I have been told that such chemistry is less harmful to the sewage system than the average hair colour or perming treatments.

Joanna Carter wrote:Well, I have been told that such chemistry is less harmful to the sewage system than the average hair colour or perming treatments.

Hair colour ... perming treatments ... I wouldn't know!!!!

Joanna Carter wrote:Well, I have been told that such chemistry is less harmful to the sewage system than the average hair colour or perming treatments.

Am I to assume that you throw the used chemiclas down the bog then ?

Dave Dawson wrote:Am I to assume that you throw the used chemiclas down the bog then ?

How many women do you know who treat their hair over the toilet?

I'm not entirely sure about colour chemistry, but for B&W the silver is the main issue (and I think there is still some silver in some colour films... (Mental note: must go and check my photographic chemistry data).

In small quantities (for home processing) it can probably easily go down the drain, given the massive dilution going on in our sewage systems. (Septic tanks are a problem... The silver kills the bacteria)

If you are worried about the silver content, buy some fine steel wool and put the fixer and some of the wool into a sturdy bucket for a few days. The silver will end up in a sludge and will be replaced by the iron atoms in the dissolved salts (please, nobody bring up ion chemistry now... it is too late in the day).
The sludge can then go into household waste when dry, I believe.

Marc

You should get a Health & Safety data sheet with any chemicals that you purchase which gives all the info on H&S issues including ecological considerations and safe disposal. Most people chuck them away without reading, but maybe that's not the best idea! You can pick up all the Ilford H&S data sheets online www.ilfordphoto.com/healthandsafety/datasheet.asp?n=1

Hi Lynne, Thanks for the link but it is all b+w only....I'll have a read of the leaflet with the chemicals.

I won't even ask what women do with their hair treatments

Cheers Dave

Lynne Evans wrote:You should get a Health & Safety data sheet with any chemicals that you purchase which gives all the info on H&S issues including ecological considerations and safe disposal. Most people chuck them away without reading, but maybe that's not the best idea! You can pick up all the Ilford H&S data sheets online http://www.ilfordphoto.com/healthandsaf ... et.asp?n=1

Hi Dave,
Sorry, didn't register the 'colour' bit of your question! Just had a look at Fujifilm data sheets and they all appear to be highly damaging environmentally - especially in aquatic environments, which means preferably NOT emptying them down the toilet!

I've just set up a darkroom/lab in Hackney wick and as good fortune should have it have a waste disposal company around the corner who happen to specialise in collecting and disposing of photographic chemicals. For B&W chemicals the cost of the silver compensates the cost of the containers which is a bonus, whether it compensates cost of collection is another matter which I imagine you have to take up with them.

their web address is http://www.wastecare.co.uk