Photographic chemical disposal

[williaty]

Interesting.... in the USA there are still universities, schools, art schools, communities, companies operating darkrooms?

From talking to the university professors I still know, it seems like many universities did close their darkrooms in the mid to late 2000s but now, a decade later, are opening new (much smaller) ones in the last few years to treat traditional silver-based photography as a fine art medium (like, say, oil painting) or as an alternative process (like cyanotype, platinum printing, etc)

[ben_hutcherson]

From talking to the university professors I still know, it seems like many universities did close their darkrooms in the mid to late 2000s but now, a decade later, are opening new (much smaller) ones in the last few years to treat traditional silver-based photography as a fine art medium (like, say, oil painting) or as an alternative process (like cyanotype, platinum printing, etc)

I can make a couple of observations.

There are four colleges/universities in my town, and I work at the largest one(state school).

I have walked past the art building and smelled "darkroom smells" coming out of an exhaust fan.

Second, the two major camera stores here in town stock film, paper, and related supplies. I spend most of my time at a small, crowded used shop where I never know what I'm going to turn up(and also spend plenty of time just sitting and chatting). By nature of being a used camera shop, they normally only have the expired film that comes in with cameras(the 200 sheets of Ektapan in my freezer thank them for that). With that said, he does stock TMAX-100 and Ilford 8x10 resin coated VC paper. I was rummaging on the darkroom shelf the other day and pulled out a pack of 35mm printfile pages, and he begged me not to buy them as it was his last one and he needed it for the students(he sells them individually, and I didn't realize it was open).

[Conrad . Marvin]

I will in the future have those "darkroom smells" coming from my exhaust fan and thank all for the input in how to deal with the chemistry that we as traditional Photographers must use.

[alberto_zh]

Maris,

Thanks for your response. I'm not a chemist and cannot speak with the authority you can, but really wanted to say about the same thing.

Silver recovery makes sense if it's easy (e.g., photofinisher in the area, etc.) but if not, down the drain it goes for me, especially after my hazmat experience with fixer. FWIW, I routinely disposed of relatively small amounts of fixer and other photochemicals into a septic system for years with no ill effects whatsoever.

As for selenium toner, I replenish and reuse and never have to dump any (just what comes out in the wash).


Best,

Doremus

How do you replenish and how often?


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[Doremus Scudder]

How do you replenish and how often? ...

Alberto,

I and others have written extensively on this. Search my name and "selenium" here and on APUG for lots of discussion.

Short version: when toning times get too long, add some toner concentrate to the working solution. It doesn't take much. Start small and work up till you get a feel for how much you need. If you add too much, you can always dilute. The toner will generate a black precipitate; filter your toner before and after each use. I keep two gallons; I've had them for over 10 years now.

Best,

Doremus

[alberto_zh]

thanks a lot! Much appreciated.


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[Tom Monego]

Not that sure about Potassium Ferrocyanide. In college I had a friend who as a project was doing full body nude blue prints of herself, basically going on the roof of her building laying out a fabric soaked in blue print emulsion, lying on it for 5 or 10 minutes, developing. After around 6 to 10 prints she started to get skin irritations and felt ill. Went to the ER and they told her she had low level cyanide poisoning. She stopped her project, had enough to get hung in a museum exhibition on alternative processes. There is also a reason Kodak removed it from color bleach between the E3 and E4 processes.

Tom