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- From: finn@isi.edu (Greg Finn)
- Newsgroups: rec.photo
- Subject: Re: How dangerous are developer chemicals?
- Message-ID: <23288@venera.isi.edu>
- Date: 26 Jan 93 17:49:39 GMT
- References: <C0v7w4.KzM@cs.psu.edu> <122380065@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM> <34885@goofy.apple.COM> <EXJTMM.93Jan26103926@ida28.tts.lth.se>
- Sender: news@isi.edu
- Reply-To: finn@dalek.isi.edu (Greg Finn)
- Organization: USC-Information Sciences Institute
- Lines: 27
-
- In article <EXJTMM.93Jan26103926@ida28.tts.lth.se> exjtmm@tts.lth.se (Thommy M. Malmstr|m) writes:
-
- >The problem with darkroom chemicals is mostly when you throw it out in
- >the sink. It's a lot of harmful toxic silver (and maybe selenium) and
- >other toxic solutions that is flushed straight to the environment.
-
- I suggest that you check out Kodak's publications concerning
- photographic effluent re: silver ion discharge, and Eaton's book on
- photographic chemistry, among others. Concerning elemental silver's
- toxicity, it is served on Moghul-style Indian food in foil form and it
- is indeed a quite edible part of the dish...although I hear of nil
- nutritive value.
-
- From what I have read, the toxic silver ion discharge from
- photograpic effluent is largely a myth. First, the silver is
- primarily complexed. Second the particular silver ions produced in
- solution which are not complexed are not particularly toxic to the
- microorganisms used in sewage treatment. For example, a home B&W
- darkroom is not considered a threat to a septic tank.
-
- But don't take my word for it. Please go read about it, and
- if someone out there who is an expert on silver photographic effluent
- knows differently, please speak up. I do not want to misinform anyone
- about this.
- --
- Gregory Finn (310) 822-1511
- Information Sciences Institute, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
-