Re: Developing Chemical Disposal
On 3/2/2010 3:19 PM, John Graves wrote:
I am considering developing my own BW film. My film cameras are
beckoning. Before I do this, I would like to understand how to dispose
of the required chemicals. I would be using something like Ethol UFG
on TMax or equivalents. It looks like fixer with a simple treatment
(desilvering) is dumpable, but what about the developer and stopbath?
I am on a septic system and don't want to spoil a good system.
Any suggestions either in disposal or alternative products is welcome.
John / WA1JG
Silver Nitrate is a antiseptic, a bactericide. You don't want it in a
septic system as it will have that effect on the flora that breaks down
waste. There's a lot of silver in the fixer when it's exhausted,
something like 90% of the amount originally present, you can recover
that.or you can build your own which considering the price of silver
might be worth while. You might want to look into one of these.
http://www.porters.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=Silver+Magnet
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Re: Developing Chemical Disposal
On 3/2/2010 5:10 PM, ann sanfedele wrote:
John Graves wrote:
I am considering developing my own BW film. My film cameras are
beckoning. Before I do this, I would like to understand how to
dispose of the required chemicals. I would be using something like
Ethol UFG on TMax or equivalents. It looks like fixer with a simple
treatment (desilvering) is dumpable, but what about the developer and
stopbath? I am on a septic system and don't want to spoil a good
system.
Any suggestions either in disposal or alternative products is welcome.
John / WA1JG
Use White Vinegar - a teaspoon or two to a quart of water, for your
stop bath.
That was the first thing the guy told me when I bought my very first
darkroom equip back in the mid 70's -
Better for you, better for the earth.
ann
Ilford's indicator stop bath is relativily cheap, lasts forever and I've
yet to use up the bottle that I bought more than four years ago. (My
film use has been rather low lately), it's even more benign than white
vinegar, it's made of coelenterate Citric acid, basically vitamin C.
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Re: Developing Chemical Disposal
- Original Message - From: P. J. Alling Subject: Re: Developing Chemical Disposal Silver Nitrate is a antiseptic, a bactericide. You don't want it in a septic system as it will have that effect on the flora that breaks down waste. There's a lot of silver in the fixer when it's exhausted, something like 90% of the amount originally present, you can recover that.or you can build your own which considering the price of silver might be worth while. You might want to look into one of these. http://www.porters.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=Silver+Magnet I believe that the dissolved silver in fixer is part of a sulpher compund (silver sulphite). I could be wrong though. Did the OP ever say if he was using a septic field or just a tank that was pumped out periodically? William Robb -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Developing Chemical Disposal
I did some color printing on Cibachrome (now Ilfochrome), and got
results that at the time couldn't really be duplicated in a commercial lab.
The chemistry was probably exceedingly hostile to living things,
(probably to non living things as well but they didn't complain much).
I wasn't crazy enough to try to process the slide film I wanted to print
from though.
On 3/4/2010 10:23 AM, Godfrey DiGiorgi wrote:
On Thu, Mar 4, 2010 at 7:12 AM, John Gravesjh.gra...@verizon.net wrote:
eckinator wrote:
Color chemistry can be all over the map with regards toxicity and
environmental impact ... but why anyone in their right mind would do a
home color chemical darkroom today is a mystery to me.
Think of it as like climbing Everest for the sedentary urban class.
I like to think in terms of being in one's right mind or getting there
open-mindedness should come before such adventurism
I understand your simile regarding being in one's right
mind...but I am left handed. so I must be in my right mind.
I'm mostly ambidextrous ... My mind can't remember which way to go.
I did color chemistry in my home darkroom once upon a time. After
spending what for me was an honest fortune and several months' effort,
I realized that I could have had better prints by dropping the film at
the corner drugstore and paying a pittance. And had them tomorrow.
Digital capture, image processing and printing does far better than
the corner drugstore.
I'm in it for the photographs, not the journey of processing! ;-)
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Re: Developing Chemical Disposal
On 3/8/2010 12:54 PM, William Robb wrote:
- Original Message - From: P. J. Alling
Subject: Re: Developing Chemical Disposal
Silver Nitrate is a antiseptic, a bactericide. You don't want it in
a septic system as it will have that effect on the flora that breaks
down waste. There's a lot of silver in the fixer when it's
exhausted, something like 90% of the amount originally present, you
can recover that.or you can build your own which considering the
price of silver might be worth while. You might want to look into
one of these.
http://www.porters.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=Silver+Magnet
I believe that the dissolved silver in fixer is part of a sulpher
compund (silver sulphite).
I could be wrong though.
Did the OP ever say if he was using a septic field or just a tank that
was pumped out periodically?
William Robb
I haven't looked at the chemestry in a long time. A little silver
nitrate can kill a lot of bacteria though. Recovering the silver before
discarding the solutions just strikes me as good economics, if you're
processing enough film. It's up to you to decide what's enough. I'll
bet the break even point on silver recovery is sooner than the break
even point on installing solar power panels, and I know people who have
done that recently.
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Re: Developing Chemical Disposal
- Original Message - From: P. J. Alling Subject: Re: Developing Chemical Disposal a septic system as it will have that effect on the flora that breaks down waste. There's a lot of silver in the fixer when it's exhausted, something like 90% of the amount originally present, you can recover that.or you can build your own which considering the price of silver might be worth while. You might want to look into one of these. http://www.porters.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=Silver+Magnet I believe that the dissolved silver in fixer is part of a sulpher compund (silver sulphite). I could be wrong though. Did the OP ever say if he was using a septic field or just a tank that was pumped out periodically? William Robb I haven't looked at the chemestry in a long time. A little silver nitrate can kill a lot of bacteria though. Recovering the silver before discarding the solutions just strikes me as good economics, if you're processing enough film. It's up to you to decide what's enough. I'll bet the break even point on silver recovery is sooner than the break even point on installing solar power panels, and I know people who have done that recently. We did electrolitic recovery at a few of the labs I worked at, but eventually gave them up as not being cost effective. It just took too much electricity to crack out the silver. All the labs I worked in since ~1990 used recovery tanks that were, in essence, iron wool with channels for the chemistry to flow through and a catalyst to make the ionic exchange process happen. This is a very cheap recovery process, as it is using a sacrificial metal process to capture the silver. It is really hard on sewer systems, since the iron bearing effluent has really good pipe clogging properties. I just did a quick look at Wikipedia, and it bears out what I remember, which is that the dissolved silver is tied to sulper as silver thiosulphate. Although silver nitrate is a precursor to the silver used in photographic materials, it is generally treated with either sodium or potassium to form the light sensitive silver halide that becomes part of the film stock, and as there is no nitric acid used in any of the common processes, I don't think there is any way for silver nitrate to form in the used chemistry. Whether it is worthwhile to recycle it, dump it or recover the silver depends to a great extent on the amount of product that is used. The old school way of thinking was that the average home darkroom user who was only processing a few films a month was presenting no harm to the environment by flushing used chemistry down the sewer. This doesn't address a septic system that is incorporating either a small septic pond or field. I expect the biology of those is easily enough knocked out of whack that some care wants to be taken. If, OTOH, he is using a septic tank that is pumped out from time to time, there would be much less to worry about WRT the toxicity of the chemistry, especialy if all that is being done is low volume BW. William Robb -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Developing Chemical Disposal
Godfrey DiGiorgi gdigio...@gmail.com wrote: On Thu, Mar 4, 2010 at 7:12 AM, John Graves jh.gra...@verizon.net wrote: eckinator wrote: Color chemistry can be all over the map with regards toxicity and environmental impact ... but why anyone in their right mind would do a home color chemical darkroom today is a mystery to me. Think of it as like climbing Everest for the sedentary urban class. I like to think in terms of being in one's right mind or getting there open-mindedness should come before such adventurism I understand your simile regarding being in one's right mind...but I am left handed. so I must be in my right mind. I'm mostly ambidextrous ... My mind can't remember which way to go. I did color chemistry in my home darkroom once upon a time. After spending what for me was an honest fortune and several months' effort, I realized that I could have had better prints by dropping the film at the corner drugstore and paying a pittance. And had them tomorrow. Digital capture, image processing and printing does far better than the corner drugstore. I'm in it for the photographs, not the journey of processing! ;-) An Everest in itself for some of us... -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Developing Chemical Disposal
2010/3/5 mike wilson m.9.wil...@ntlworld.com: Godfrey DiGiorgi gdigio...@gmail.com wrote: On Thu, Mar 4, 2010 at 7:12 AM, John Graves jh.gra...@verizon.net wrote: eckinator wrote: Color chemistry can be all over the map with regards toxicity and environmental impact ... but why anyone in their right mind would do a home color chemical darkroom today is a mystery to me. Think of it as like climbing Everest for the sedentary urban class. I like to think in terms of being in one's right mind or getting there open-mindedness should come before such adventurism I understand your simile regarding being in one's right mind...but I am left handed. so I must be in my right mind. I'm mostly ambidextrous ... My mind can't remember which way to go. I did color chemistry in my home darkroom once upon a time. After spending what for me was an honest fortune and several months' effort, I realized that I could have had better prints by dropping the film at the corner drugstore and paying a pittance. And had them tomorrow. Digital capture, image processing and printing does far better than the corner drugstore. I'm in it for the photographs, not the journey of processing! ;-) An Everest in itself for some of us... A small lab for a man but a huge mess for mankind :] -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Developing Chemical Disposal
eckinator wrote: 2010/3/5 mike wilson m.9.wil...@ntlworld.com: Godfrey DiGiorgi gdigio...@gmail.com wrote: On Thu, Mar 4, 2010 at 7:12 AM, John Graves jh.gra...@verizon.net wrote: eckinator wrote: Color chemistry can be all over the map with regards toxicity and environmental impact ... but why anyone in their right mind would do a home color chemical darkroom today is a mystery to me. Think of it as like climbing Everest for the sedentary urban class. I like to think in terms of being in one's right mind or getting there open-mindedness should come before such adventurism I understand your simile regarding being in one's right mind...but I am left handed. so I must be in my right mind. I'm mostly ambidextrous ... My mind can't remember which way to go. I did color chemistry in my home darkroom once upon a time. After spending what for me was an honest fortune and several months' effort, I realized that I could have had better prints by dropping the film at the corner drugstore and paying a pittance. And had them tomorrow. Digital capture, image processing and printing does far better than the corner drugstore. I'm in it for the photographs, not the journey of processing! ;-) An Everest in itself for some of us... A small lab for a man but a huge mess for mankind :] Now you're mexing your mitophores. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Developing Chemical Disposal
mike wilson wrote: eckinator wrote: 2010/3/5 mike wilson m.9.wil...@ntlworld.com: Godfrey DiGiorgi gdigio...@gmail.com wrote: On Thu, Mar 4, 2010 at 7:12 AM, John Graves jh.gra...@verizon.net wrote: eckinator wrote: Color chemistry can be all over the map with regards toxicity and environmental impact ... but why anyone in their right mind would do a home color chemical darkroom today is a mystery to me. Think of it as like climbing Everest for the sedentary urban class. I like to think in terms of being in one's right mind or getting there open-mindedness should come before such adventurism I understand your simile regarding being in one's right mind...but I am left handed. so I must be in my right mind. I'm mostly ambidextrous ... My mind can't remember which way to go. I did color chemistry in my home darkroom once upon a time. After spending what for me was an honest fortune and several months' effort, I realized that I could have had better prints by dropping the film at the corner drugstore and paying a pittance. And had them tomorrow. Digital capture, image processing and printing does far better than the corner drugstore. I'm in it for the photographs, not the journey of processing! ;-) An Everest in itself for some of us... A small lab for a man but a huge mess for mankind :] Now you're mexing your mitophores. mitaphores. stupid fingers. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Developing Chemical Disposal
I thought they were related to mitochondria. -- Godfrey godfreydigiorgi.posterous.com -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
RE: Developing Chemical Disposal
I thought they were related to mitochondria. They may be related to your tochondria, but leave mine out of it -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Developing Chemical Disposal
2010/3/6 Bob W p...@web-options.com: I thought they were related to mitochondria. They may be related to your tochondria, but leave mine out of it it is fine as long as you keep yours out of my amphores -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Developing Chemical Disposal
Godfrey DiGiorgi gdigio...@gmail.com wrote: Color chemistry can be all over the map with regards toxicity and environmental impact ... but why anyone in their right mind would do a home color chemical darkroom today is a mystery to me. Think of it as like climbing Everest for the sedentary urban class. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Developing Chemical Disposal
2010/3/4 mike wilson m.9.wil...@ntlworld.com: Godfrey DiGiorgi gdigio...@gmail.com wrote: Color chemistry can be all over the map with regards toxicity and environmental impact ... but why anyone in their right mind would do a home color chemical darkroom today is a mystery to me. Think of it as like climbing Everest for the sedentary urban class. I like to think in terms of being in one's right mind or getting there open-mindedness should come before such adventurism cheers ecke -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Developing Chemical Disposal
On 3/3/10, Godfrey DiGiorgi gdigio...@gmail.com wrote: Fixer has small amounts of sodium thiosulfate in it, which is typically used in pesticides, etc. California doesn't even list it on the toxicity pages. However, exhausted fixer has small amounts of silver salts in it, which are heavy metals that are pretty reactive. We discussed this a couple years back and there was a link to a document with some nifty mathematical/scientific data that claimed most of the silver thiosulfates become thiosulfides in the sludge on the side of the pipes somewhere between the drain and the treatment plant. I used to dump mine into a septic system and never noticed any problems, but I was probably developing 6 or 12 rolls a month. Now I'm on the city sewer system and it still goes down the drain. -- Scott Loveless http://www.twosixteen.com/fivetoedsloth/ -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Developing Chemical Disposal
- Original Message - From: Scott Loveless Subject: Re: Developing Chemical Disposal We discussed this a couple years back and there was a link to a document with some nifty mathematical/scientific data that claimed most of the silver thiosulfates become thiosulfides in the sludge on the side of the pipes somewhere between the drain and the treatment plant. I used to dump mine into a septic system and never noticed any problems, but I was probably developing 6 or 12 rolls a month. Now I'm on the city sewer system and it still goes down the drain. I looked at what was in my dishwasher detergent and decided that a couple of gallons of photochemistry a month wasn't going to hurt anything. If you choose old school chemistry (sans Metol is possible) or X-Tol (or similar) as a developer, there just isn't anything in the process that is going to cause anyone any grief at all. I read a report one time about the allowable amounts of silver that could be dumped by labs in California. Apparently the tap water in some areas had more dissolved silver than what was allowed to go down the drain. It's good that people are becoming sensitised to what they are pouring into the sewer, but I often think that there is an over reaction regarding it as well. William Robb -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Developing Chemical Disposal
ecke, I understand your simile regarding being in one's right mind...but I am left handed. so I must be in my right mind. John / WA1JG waiting for the adjuster... eckinator wrote: 2010/3/4 mike wilson m.9.wil...@ntlworld.com: Godfrey DiGiorgi gdigio...@gmail.com wrote: Color chemistry can be all over the map with regards toxicity and environmental impact ... but why anyone in their right mind would do a home color chemical darkroom today is a mystery to me. Think of it as like climbing Everest for the sedentary urban class. I like to think in terms of being in one's right mind or getting there open-mindedness should come before such adventurism cheers ecke No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.733 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2721 - Release Date: 03/03/10 14:34:00 -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Developing Chemical Disposal
On Thu, Mar 4, 2010 at 7:12 AM, John Graves jh.gra...@verizon.net wrote: eckinator wrote: Color chemistry can be all over the map with regards toxicity and environmental impact ... but why anyone in their right mind would do a home color chemical darkroom today is a mystery to me. Think of it as like climbing Everest for the sedentary urban class. I like to think in terms of being in one's right mind or getting there open-mindedness should come before such adventurism I understand your simile regarding being in one's right mind...but I am left handed. so I must be in my right mind. I'm mostly ambidextrous ... My mind can't remember which way to go. I did color chemistry in my home darkroom once upon a time. After spending what for me was an honest fortune and several months' effort, I realized that I could have had better prints by dropping the film at the corner drugstore and paying a pittance. And had them tomorrow. Digital capture, image processing and printing does far better than the corner drugstore. I'm in it for the photographs, not the journey of processing! ;-) -- Godfrey godfreydigiorgi.posterous.com -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Developing Chemical Disposal
I have pretty similar feelings. I don't miss film at all. I get much better control and results from digital. Not to mention, much more practice and improvement in my skills (photographic, not lab) without a such a big hit in cost for all that film. Other areas besides cost that bothered me with film was a single ISO for the entire roll, having to finish an entire roll before being able to really examine them (how many countless times did I burn frames just to finish or just wound partial rolls back), scratches, etc. I am very happy with the direction that photography has been taking. -- Bruce Thursday, March 4, 2010, 7:23:52 AM, you wrote: GD I'm mostly ambidextrous ... My mind can't remember which way to go. GD I did color chemistry in my home darkroom once upon a time. After GD spending what for me was an honest fortune and several months' effort, GD I realized that I could have had better prints by dropping the film at GD the corner drugstore and paying a pittance. And had them tomorrow. GD Digital capture, image processing and printing does far better than GD the corner drugstore. GD I'm in it for the photographs, not the journey of processing! ;-) GD -- GD Godfrey GD godfreydigiorgi.posterous.com -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Developing Chemical Disposal
2010/3/4 Godfrey DiGiorgi gdigio...@gmail.com: [.. Digital capture, image processing and printing does far better than the corner drugstore...] I'm in it for the photographs, not the journey of processing! ;-) speck =) -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Developing Chemical Disposal
2010/3/4 John Graves jh.gra...@verizon.net: I understand your simile regarding being in one's right mind...but I am left handed. so I must be in my right mind. I just learned my mind is either right but concealed or all over the place or perhaps was turned around some time so I'm sort of in the United States of Mind... does that make Barack my president? There is Hope for Change after all!!! =) Cheers Ecke -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Developing Chemical Disposal
You can also do some interesting development with non-toxic stuff like coffee and tea (and ascorbic acid): http://www.google.com/search?q=coffee+ascorbic+acid+developer or Google: caffenol C A few links: http://www.flickr.com/photos/heritagefutures/4142721137/ http://www.flickr.com/groups/33051...@n00/ http://www.f295.org/Pinholeforum/forum/Blah.pl?m-1265064324/ Darren Addy Kearney, NE -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Developing Chemical Disposal
This is the best choice - to take all your old chemistry to a household hazardous waste pickup point so it can be dealt with properly. Putting them into your septic system creates two issues. The first being any potential damage to your septic/soil absorption system and the possibility of the chemicals killing the bacteria that are the workmen of the system. The second issue has to do with the non-biodegradable chemicals passing through the system with the effluent into the soil and potentially contaminating the ground water. Neither of these are beneficial occurrences. Even prescription drugs are being found in our water supply, partly from unused pills being dumped down the toilet and partly from passing through our bodies when we're on medication. No need to add other chemicals to the mix. -p On 3/2/2010 5:11 PM, John Sessoms wrote: John Graves wrote: I am considering developing my own BW film. My film cameras are beckoning. Before I do this, I would like to understand how to dispose of the required chemicals. I would be using something like Ethol UFG on TMax or equivalents. It looks like fixer with a simple treatment (desilvering) is dumpable, but what about the developer and stopbath? I am on a septic system and don't want to spoil a good system. Any suggestions either in disposal or alternative products is welcome. Mix your used developer and stop bath together so they balance out. They definitely should not go into the septic system. Most areas have a household hazardous waste disposal location or periodic collection and you should be able to take it there. Here in Raleigh/Wake County NC it used to be first Saturday of the month, but they've recently expanded the service to six days a week year round. Specifically lists photographic chemicals among the itemss accepted. No additional charge beyond what I already pay for water/sewer/trash/curbside recycling. Try Googling Your Town/County State household hazardous waste - that's how I found out about the new facility in Wake County. If they don't take fixer, I'd ask around local mini-labs. If you're not generating great quantities of waste, you can probably find one that will take the used fixer and add it to their own chemicals for de-silvering. They might be willing to take on your used developer and stop as well. No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.733 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2718 - Release Date: 03/02/10 01:34:00 -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Developing Chemical Disposal
On Tue, Mar 2, 2010 at 3:11 PM, John Graves jh.gra...@verizon.net wrote: Ann, Thanks...I was reading elsewhere that stopbath was essentially vinegar so why not. Stop bath is essentially dilute acetic acid, same as vinegar. The advantage of Kodak Indicator Stop Bath is that it has a dye in it that turns purple when the acid content is consumed, so you can see in a darkroom when to change it. The dyes are biodegradable and have no environmental impact. Vinegar is cheaper. ;-) .. Now what about the developer. I would use something like Ethol UFG unless this is really toxic and there is anything that is not. Inquiring minds want to know .or at least one mind. Some developers have trace small amounts of heavy metals in them (most anything made with Metol, for instance). Kodak's XTOL, however, has very little if anything that is not biodegradable ... it's mostly a variation on Vitamin C. I moved to XTOL for virtually all of my processing at the end of my time doing BW film work, that is unless I used a C41 process film which I simply let the local lab process for me. Fixer has small amounts of sodium thiosulfate in it, which is typically used in pesticides, etc. California doesn't even list it on the toxicity pages. However, exhausted fixer has small amounts of silver salts in it, which are heavy metals that are pretty reactive. Color chemistry can be all over the map with regards toxicity and environmental impact ... but why anyone in their right mind would do a home color chemical darkroom today is a mystery to me. - In the minute amounts that even a seriously busy home BW darkroom produce, none of the waste products from BW photography have much environmental impact. Local regulation of environmental hazard is actually more important from a political and legal standpoint than any environmental impact. - The silver salts in exhausted fixer are the most significant outputs and should be handled as toxic waste when in quantity ... it should be recycled ... for instance, when I was in the photofinishing business in a shop that ran an average of 150 135-36 rolls a day, we sold the waste out of the film and paper developer machines on a regular basis for the buyers to reclaim the silver. For an occasional roll of BW film, I doubt there is any significant environmental impact. - I've never dealt with a septic tank so I have little to recommend one way or another regards to that. - Read up on local legal requirements for photographic waste products with regard to disposal. -- Godfrey godfreydigiorgi.posterous.com -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Developing Chemical Disposal
I am considering developing my own BW film. My film cameras are beckoning. Before I do this, I would like to understand how to dispose of the required chemicals. I would be using something like Ethol UFG on TMax or equivalents. It looks like fixer with a simple treatment (desilvering) is dumpable, but what about the developer and stopbath? I am on a septic system and don't want to spoil a good system. Any suggestions either in disposal or alternative products is welcome. John / WA1JG -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Developing Chemical Disposal
John Graves wrote: I am considering developing my own BW film. My film cameras are beckoning. Before I do this, I would like to understand how to dispose of the required chemicals. I would be using something like Ethol UFG on TMax or equivalents. It looks like fixer with a simple treatment (desilvering) is dumpable, but what about the developer and stopbath? I am on a septic system and don't want to spoil a good system. Any suggestions either in disposal or alternative products is welcome. John / WA1JG Use White Vinegar - a teaspoon or two to a quart of water, for your stop bath. That was the first thing the guy told me when I bought my very first darkroom equip back in the mid 70's - Better for you, better for the earth. ann -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Developing Chemical Disposal
On Tue, Mar 2, 2010 at 3:19 PM, John Graves jh.gra...@verizon.net wrote: I am on a septic system and don't want to spoil a good system. Use Scott's, he won;'t mind Dave Any suggestions either in disposal or alternative products is welcome. John / WA1JG -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions. -- Documenting Life in Rural Ontario. www.caughtinmotion.com http://brooksinthecountry.blogspot.com/ York Region, Ontario, Canada -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Developing Chemical Disposal
John Graves wrote: I am considering developing my own BW film. My film cameras are beckoning. Before I do this, I would like to understand how to dispose of the required chemicals. I would be using something like Ethol UFG on TMax or equivalents. It looks like fixer with a simple treatment (desilvering) is dumpable, but what about the developer and stopbath? I am on a septic system and don't want to spoil a good system. Any suggestions either in disposal or alternative products is welcome. Mix your used developer and stop bath together so they balance out. They definitely should not go into the septic system. Most areas have a household hazardous waste disposal location or periodic collection and you should be able to take it there. Here in Raleigh/Wake County NC it used to be first Saturday of the month, but they've recently expanded the service to six days a week year round. Specifically lists photographic chemicals among the itemss accepted. No additional charge beyond what I already pay for water/sewer/trash/curbside recycling. Try Googling Your Town/County State household hazardous waste - that's how I found out about the new facility in Wake County. If they don't take fixer, I'd ask around local mini-labs. If you're not generating great quantities of waste, you can probably find one that will take the used fixer and add it to their own chemicals for de-silvering. They might be willing to take on your used developer and stop as well. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Developing Chemical Disposal
Ann, Thanks...I was reading elsewhere that stopbath was essentially vinegar so why not. Now what about the developer. I would use something like Ethol UFG unless this is really toxic and there is anything that is not. Inquiring minds want to know .or at least one mind. John / WA1JG ann sanfedele wrote: John Graves wrote: I am considering developing my own BW film. My film cameras are beckoning. Before I do this, I would like to understand how to dispose of the required chemicals. I would be using something like Ethol UFG on TMax or equivalents. It looks like fixer with a simple treatment (desilvering) is dumpable, but what about the developer and stopbath? I am on a septic system and don't want to spoil a good system. Any suggestions either in disposal or alternative products is welcome. John / WA1JG Use White Vinegar - a teaspoon or two to a quart of water, for your stop bath. That was the first thing the guy told me when I bought my very first darkroom equip back in the mid 70's - Better for you, better for the earth. ann No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.733 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2718 - Release Date: 03/02/10 02:34:00 -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Developing Chemical Disposal
- Original Message - From: John Graves I am considering developing my own BW film. My film cameras are beckoning. Before I do this, I would like to understand how to dispose of the required chemicals. I would be using something like Ethol UFG on TMax or equivalents. It looks like fixer with a simple treatment (desilvering) is dumpable, but what about the developer and stopbath? I am on a septic system and don't want to spoil a good system. Any suggestions either in disposal or alternative products is welcome. BW film chemistry is pretty harmless. Developers are a few sodium salt compounds and some sequestering agents. You wouldn't want to drink the stuff, but most of it wouldn't give you more than a tummy ache. Stop bath is ~2% acetic acid. Mix white venegar 1:1 with water and you are pretty much there. Rapid fixers are a little more potent, but the silver is tied pretty tightly to sulpher and is actually relatively benign in it's suspended state. Are you running a septic pond or do you have a tank that gets pumped out periodically? William Robb -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
