Procedure for Disposal of Silver Bearing Photographic Chemicals

Silver Recovery from Used photographic Fixer:  Cornell's EH&S has contracted with Safety-Kleen, Corp. to provide silver recovery units for processing photographic fixer.  The units are provided as a part of the EH&S budget and are not charged to the various colleges or individual departments of Cornell.

The CHESS silver recovery unit is stored on the right side of the stainless steel sink in the CHESS Darkroom, Wilson 172.  The unit consists of two white 5-gallon buckets connected together by plastic tubing.  The upper bucket is the input receptacle and the lower bucket contains the silver recovery filter high.

To use:

1.  Remove the lid of the top bucket and pour the used fixer into the upper reservoir.  Do not over flow.

2.  Replace cover.  The cover should be on the unit whenever it is not being filled.

3.  The used fixer gradually drains into the lower bucket and the silver is recovered by the filter which extracts the silver from the fixer.

4.  The output liquid can just go down the ordinary sink drain.

EH&S and Safety-Kleen, Corp. will periodically change the filter in the lower bucket.

If you suspect there is a problem with the manner in which this unit is performing contact the CHESS Operator or David Jones, the CHESS Chemical Safety Officer.  Safety-Kleen, Corp (1301 Gervais St., Suite 300, Columbia, SC 29201, 803-933-4200) has been retained by Cornell University to periodically service the units without further intervention from us, based on our projected usage.  For further technical questions call or email Nathan Hunter of Cornell EH&S or contact Safety-Kleen, Corp at the above number.

Prepared by:  David J. Jones
Date:  31 Jan., 2005

Last Update: 2006-09-21