HELP! Chemical Disposal options

[Dave Pritchard]

I remove silver from used fixer with a AA battery, a stainless steel wire, and a silver wire. The wire can be had from hobby stores. A battery holder can be made, or bought. Hire a specialist to do the soldering.

This is reverse electro-plating. It works very well. You can even see the material transfer in some cases. It takes just a few minutes for a gallon of fix.

 

[r-brian]

Can you tell us the source of the nitrate?
Can you briefly say what an aerobic advanced treatment system is?

The nitrogen source is organic products, that is, food. Food waste from the kitchen (20%) and processed food waste from the backside of humans (80%). There may be other sources such as ammonia based cleaners, but for the average house, it's just food.

Aerobic treatment systems are an active treatment system, basically a mini waste water plant. Usually consist of a septic tank followed by another tank where air is introduced through a blower system. A high population of aerobic bateria is maintained to treat the waste. Organic waste is food for these organisms; they consume it and grow, multiply and die. Aerobic system are fickle animals, very easy to upset the treatment process.

I tell people that septic systems are living breathing animals. Treat them properly and they will thrive.

 

[Kirk Keyes]

processed food waste from the backside of humans (80%).

Processed food waste - that a more polite way of stating it than I would have said it!

I've worked with biosolids - I'm glad I don't have to do anything with sludge.

r-brian - what's your opinion on silver. I content that it will drop out of solution as sulfide or halide and not have any effect on the bacteria in a septic tank.