Darkroom chemestry and a septic system
Sep 21, 2016 08:09:21 #
I am in the process of building a house that has a septic system. A darkroom will be in the basement. What will T-Max, Kodak stop and fix do to my septic system? I dont think that color chemistry will be an issue as Illfochrome soup is almost non-existant.
Sep 21, 2016 08:20:06 #
NIKONADDICT wrote:
I am in the process of building a house that has a septic system. A darkroom will be in the basement. What will T-Max, Kodak stop and fix do to my septic system? I dont think that color chemistry will be an issue as Illfochrome soup is almost non-existant.
I've often wondered about that. I doubt the microbes would like all those chemicals.
Sep 21, 2016 08:21:27 #
Sep 21, 2016 08:22:24 #
Not sure, the stop is close to vinegar so not a problem. I am trying to remember from too long ago the chemicals involved, fixer is predominantly sodium thiosulfate. When in high school I experimented with a lot of developers and would make them up from scratch. I would think that running a lot of water when discarding them would me a good idea. Dilution is the solution....
Sep 21, 2016 08:25:12 #
Sep 21, 2016 08:28:55 #
I would call the public works (waste) department of your county or if in city/town limits to see what they say. Many local governments have a program for household hazardous waste that you could use. Putting chemicals into your septic system that will eventually leach into the ground water would not be good.
Sep 21, 2016 08:30:30 #
NIKONADDICT wrote:
I am in the process of building a house that has a septic system. A darkroom will be in the basement. What will T-Max, Kodak stop and fix do to my septic system? I dont think that color chemistry will be an issue as Illfochrome soup is almost non-existant.
Retained silver in fix and wash will kill the bacteria that digest the waste in the septic tank. I had a darkroom in my parents' house, which originally had a septic tank. I managed to make it back up twice before the city connected us to their sewer system.
Silver is a toxic heavy metal. The EPA basically banned photo labs from discharging it into sewer systems several decades ago. Fortunately, silver recovery pays for itself.
Sep 21, 2016 08:47:31 #
Thanks everyone........I think I'll take up the idea of hazardous material disposal. Our city has such a program. I cant imagine more than 2 or 3 trips a year (he said hopefully).
Sep 21, 2016 08:55:53 #
NIKONADDICT wrote:
I am in the process of building a house that has a septic system. A darkroom will be in the basement. What will T-Max, Kodak stop and fix do to my septic system? I dont think that color chemistry will be an issue as Illfochrome soup is almost non-existant.
Nothing happens. I had a darkroom for years that drained into a septic tank. Once, when it was pumped, I asked the the fellow who was pumping (he was the owner of the company and had been in the business for years) what effect the chemicals had on the system. He laughed at me and said that they don't have a chance against all the other things that go down the drain. Having been given that advice, I'd say not to worry about it.
Sep 21, 2016 09:23:08 #
jaymatt wrote:
Nothing happens. I had a darkroom for years that drained into a septic tank. Once, when it was pumped, I asked the the fellow who was pumping (he was the owner of the company and had been in the business for years) what effect the chemicals had on the system. He laughed at me and said that they don't have a chance against all the other things that go down the drain. Having been given that advice, I'd say not to worry about it.
And.... You trust the guy that will come in and empty your corrupted septic tanks???
I would not.
Sep 21, 2016 09:24:32 #
I have been using a darkroom on a septic system for seven years. Everything but fixer and selenium toner goes down the drain. I've had no problems.
Sep 21, 2016 09:29:52 #
It is nice to hear that people with septic systems "have had no problems" - honestly, all the waste that goes into a septic system doesn't just stay in the tank. Over time it leaches out and gets into the ground water. I guess if it doesn't directly affect your septic system all is "A" OK! Who cares about what is getting into the ground water...
sorry, just a little rant.
sorry, just a little rant.
Sep 21, 2016 09:30:53 #
Rongnongno wrote:
And.... You trust the guy that will come in and empty your corrupted septic tanks???
I would not.
I would not.
I do. He is, as they say, a trained professional who knows his job. He wasn't just some guy off the street running a truck.
Sep 21, 2016 09:32:00 #
Japakomom wrote:
It is nice to hear that people with septic systems "have had no problems" - honestly, all the waste that goes into a septic system doesn't just stay in the tank. Over time it leaches out and gets into the ground water. I guess if it doesn't directly affect your septic system all is "A" OK! Who cares about what is getting into the ground water...
sorry, just a little rant.
sorry, just a little rant.
Sep 21, 2016 09:48:26 #
NIKONADDICT wrote:
I am in the process of building a house that has a septic system. A darkroom will be in the basement. What will T-Max, Kodak stop and fix do to my septic system? I dont think that color chemistry will be an issue as Illfochrome soup is almost non-existant.
I had a darkroom for 35 years in a house with a septic tank. I never had a problem.
I started with Cibachrome (Ilfochrome) which was known to be self-neutralizing and later moved on to routine B&W chemicals which may not have been self neutralizing. I used very little color negative chemistry.
The only chemical that was routinely discarded with the B&W process was the developer. The stop, fix and wash aid got reused for 20-25 rolls or prints before I replaced them. They never caused a problem at low volumes. I also used Selenium toner as a preservative - very dilute. It never worried me because over that period I only consumed a total of about 3 liters of the original concentrate.
Diluted Xtol developer is known to be very eco-friendly.
A high volume production lab might be a different case.
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