a lot of people suggest that household chemicals ( bleach, laundry detergents, &c ) and hair care products are more hazardous then anything a photographer would use and because a hobbyist is a small quantity generator it is OK to dump stuff down the drain, even on a septic system. they post kodak data sheets from the 90s or 70s or whatever to support their claims that it is just kooks and tree huggers that believe or suggest one should do differently
( and it is their right do just dump whatever they have down the drain. )
i always suggest calling local authorities because some places are more lenient than others.
YMMV
jnanian,
First, sorry if you don't like the 1999 date of the Kodak publication. I would love to have an updated version as well, but there just isn't one. The point I would like to make in this regard is that the black-and-white processing chemicals we tend to use have not changed appreciably since the Jurassic... uh... 1999, and that the publication still has validity. True, regulations regarding the disposal of chemicals do change, but the science behind remains basically the same.
Here is a quote from a later Kodak publication (A-3 on processing black-and-white film):
"
Safe Disposal of Used Chemicals.
Be sure to dispose of chemicals properly. To a large extent, exactly how you do that will depend on what the chemicals are, the volume of the solutions you discard, and whether you are discharging them into a sewer or into a septic system. Generally, you can pour small amounts of used photographic solutions down the drain without ill effect. Discard the solutions one at a time (to avoid unwanted chemical reactions). Rinse the sink thoroughly and flush the drain with plenty of clean water after dumping each solution. Because the discharge or disposal of spent photographic solutions may be subject to
local, state, or federal laws, contact the appropriate authorities to determine the requirements that apply to your area."
I'd also like to point out, that I am a devoted "tree-hugger" and believe in responsible disposal of photochemicals. I may be a "kook" as well, but not in an environmental sense... Do check out my earlier posts on chemical disposal, replenishing and reuse of selenium toner, etc.
My posting of the Kodak link was to try to get this discussion out of the realm of hearsay and into the context of documentation/regulation/research.
newcam's posting of the brochure link was interesting in this regard as well. If you take the time to read it critically, you will see that it applies to commercial/industrial photofinishers. You will also note that small waste-volume generators (less than 100kg/month of solid waste) are, in essence, exempt from the responsibilities and regulations. I don't think that anyone seriously believes that the EPA will come down hard on home processors. If you have a business, that's another matter.
Now, on to some specifics for the OP:
First, the most pressing issue: black-and-white processing chemicals and septic systems. Unfortunately, as in the Kodak quote above, photochemicals often just get lumped together. Separating them and discussing them individually is enlightening. Most developers, including pyro developers, break down readily to harmless compounds in a septic system, and do not compromise functionality as long as the volumes are not large. Note that Kodak, in their typically careful and veiled way, says essentially the same thing. Stop baths in working dilution (and especially when exhausted) are much less acid than household vinegar, contain the same ingredient (acetic acid for most) or a more benign citric acid. With proper dilution before discarding the pH of a stop bath is really close to neutral and poses no risk to a septic system in reasonable quantities.
The real problem for septic systems is silver-rich used fixer. The silver is a bactericide, and will adversely affect the activity of the septic system if the volumes of silver are such that the bacteria cannot recover from the load. Toners containing heavy metals, notably selenium toners are not immediately detrimental to the functioning of a septic system, but with repeated discarding of larger quantities, heavy metals can build up in the system and pollute ground water. These two areas are where one should concentrate their concerns about photochemicals and septic systems.
FWIW, I do most of my printing in a darkroom connected to a septic system. My methods of disposing of my chemistry is as follows:
Developer and stop are diluted and flushed into the septic system one-at-a-time (developer first). When printing heavily, that might be 2 liters of working solution and stop every other day. This often goes on for a couple of months at a time. Never a problem with the septic system. The miniscule amounts of potassium ferricyanide bleach I use go down the drain as well. From what I have read, this presents no concern about contamination of ground water or septic system performance.
Fixer is collected in 5-gallon jugs (normally, I might dispose of 5-10 gallons of fixer a year.) These now present a bit of a problem for me. In the past, I simply took them to a local photofinisher who gladly took them for silver recovery. Now there are no longer photolabs in my area. I have taken the fixer to the local hazmat collection station a couple of times now. My issue with this is that I do not believe that my used fixer gets designated for silver recovery. No matter how carefully I try to explain to the collectors that I am discarding used photo fixer that should go to silver recovery, they just pour it in a couple of 5-gallon containers and scribble "photo chemicals" on the lid. I'm rather sure it never gets to a silver-recovery unit. So much for the "experts" at the hazmat facility in my area. Once or twice, since it is allowable in my area to dispose of small amounts of used fixer into the municipal sewer system, I have simply dumped my spent fixer down a public toilet connected to the sewer. I'd much rather get it to silver recovery. I'm thinking of installing a silver-recovery system myself now.
For selenium toner, I filter, replenish and reuse. I never discard any selenium toner anywhere. I have batches of toner that have been going for well over five years. I've written about this here enough that I'm not going to go into my tirade about discarding heavy metals into the environment again except to say, just don't do it.
To summarize, you can safely dispose of reasonable quantities of developer, stop and tiny amounts of peripheral chemicals in a septic system.
Next point. It is bewildering for someone trying to be responsible, and especially for someone just starting out, to find concrete guidelines for disposing of black-and-white photochemicals. The literature is obtuse and, all too often, local authorities are simply no help/have no idea/overreact out of ignorance, etc. That's one of the reasons this topic comes up from time-to-time here. That doesn't mean you should not contact local authorities to find what the regulations are, but be prepared for an uninformed response. Most regulators deal with businesses, industry and really much more dangerous and toxic things than black-and-white photo processing in the home. If you're lucky, you'll get someone who knows what they are talking about and get an authoritative answer.
However, sifting through the obfuscations and careful, litigation-paranoid wording from manufacturers and the bureaucratese of the regulatory agencies, one comes to realize that low volume home darkroom black-and-white chemicals, either for hobbies or for low-volume fine-art photographers, are generally exempt from regulation. They can be discarded into local municipal sewers without worry.
That said, I would advocate for taking used fixer to a silver-recovery facility when possible, or installing your own silver-recovery system, since, like selenium, silver does not get removed at the water-treatment plant and collects in the sludge. The amount that comes from local non-industrial photofinishing is likely miniscule, but nevertheless, if one wishes to be responsible, there is often something that can be done.
All for now, I hope this helps the OP realize that there is a way to deal with his problem without having a guilty conscience.
Best,
Doremus
www.DoremusScudder.com
