# What to do with used Fixer!



## ckim32 (Jul 16, 2007)

I started processing film at home and having been storing the chemicals in a plastic bottle in the meantime since it's terrible to pour it down the drain.  I live in NY and was wondering if anyone had any suggestion how I can get rid of this stuff.  Thanks!


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## JC1220 (Jul 16, 2007)

Give these guys a call:

http://www.safety-kleen.com/SKInter...elid=298aafcfbd6ed010VgnVCM1000001203200aRCRD


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## ksmattfish (Jul 16, 2007)

If you have a local full service lab they may be willing to pour it through their filters.


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## Jeff Canes (Jul 16, 2007)

I bet most people pour it down the drain


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## JC1220 (Jul 16, 2007)

Although my views are pretty open on this, if you are going to do that at least put some steel wool in it for 24 hours, then dump.


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## nealjpage (Jul 16, 2007)

JC1220 said:


> Although my views are pretty open on this, if you are going to do that at least put some steel wool in it for 24 hours, then dump.



What does that do?


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## ann (Jul 16, 2007)

the silver in the fixer adhers itself to the steel wool


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## Aquarium Dreams (Jul 16, 2007)

How much steel wool do you need to put in it?


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## nealjpage (Jul 17, 2007)

ann said:


> the silver in the fixer adhers itself to the steel wool



Neat!  But is the silver the problem, or the chemicals in the fixer that are the problem?  It seems to me that silver would be rather inert.


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## JC1220 (Jul 17, 2007)

Heavy metals are what most are concerned about, i.e. silver.  Most fixers today use ammonium thiosulfate, commonly found in dozens of household products that get dumped down the drain every day.  

Use half a pad per gallon.  A black sludge will form as well in the container and this should be discarded in the trash, not the drain.

Also, using fixer to exhaustion creates complex silver compounds that are hard to break down and this trick becomes far less effective.


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## ERS1121 (Jul 17, 2007)

Lets be sensible, if you were to dump 1 gallon of fixer into the NYC sewer system it would do nothing. It would be combined  with millions of gallons of water, soap, other household chemicals, not to mention maybe a hundred tons of raw human waste. What do you think the one gallon (more or less) is going to do?
Ed


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## Aquarium Dreams (Jul 17, 2007)

I think that it's what's called a social trap, the same concept underlying global warming as a result of using fossil fuels.  Sure, one guy driving an SUV doesn't hurt the environment, but give everyone an SUV (or let everyone dump silver down the drain) and there are going to be problems.


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## usayit (Jul 17, 2007)

My local recycling center for my town takes used fixer from residents for free.


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## ckim32 (Jul 18, 2007)

thanks!!  this helps so much


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