Safe handling and disposal of photo chemicals

[solane]

it's been many years since i've processed my own film and one of my biggest concerns is how to properly dispose of the chemicals used in developing film. since i would be processing black+white film in my home, what are the risks of pouring used developer and fixer down the drain? will it damage my pipes? will i be polluting? can i get in trouble with the city? do i need to get a disposal drum?

is this an issue that anyone has raised? any advice would be appreciated. i'm not going to be processing thousands of rolls of film but i would like to be aware of any risks i might be taking.

thanks!

 

[RayPA]

...

is this an issue that anyone has raised? any advice would be appreciated. i'm not going to be processing thousands of rolls of film but i would like to be aware of any risks i might be taking.

thanks!

This was raised a few months back, IIRC, but no harm in raising it again. I beleive the only chemical you should really worry about pouring down the drain is fixer. Most* U.S. cities have some chemical disposal system in place, and you should probably check with your city to know what they don't want down the drain. Most* cities have a website nowadays and that should be your first destination. This is assuming you're US-based, and of course, every state and city has different requirements. 🙂