Photographic Waste

Waste solutions from the development of photographic film are potentially hazardous due to high levels of silver, a regulated, toxic metal. Some solutions may also be hazardous waste due to corrosivity of the developing baths.

Missouri State has chosen to utilize silver recovery units for the photographic waste solutions generated by the Art & Design Department on the Springfield campus. The units remove the silver to an acceptable level for discharging into the sanitary sewers. Recovered silver is removed by the contract company and the University is credited for the recovered amount.

Waste selenium solutions generated in the color photo developing process must be handled as a hazardous waste. The containers must comply with the satellite accumulation requirements including proper labeling, dating and being kept closed. The Environmental Management Department should be contacted for removal when the container approaches ¾ full.

Other solutions should be checked for hazardous constituents prior to disposal. Some developers contain corrosive materials in sufficiently high enough concentrations that they must be disposed of as hazardous waste or neutralized in the waste accumulation container prior to disposal into the sanitary sewers (see guidance on neutralization of waste). Other developers and most finishing solutions can be disposed of into the sanitary sewers. The Environmental Management department should be contacted to assist in making the determination whether or not the material is a hazardous waste and for advice regarding the proper disposal procedures.