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Frequently Asked Questions

Regulatory Compliance

1. What environmental regulations affect how I run my photographic processing business?
   Depending on the size of your facility and what part photographic processing plays in your business, one set of environmental regulations with which you have to comply may include those under the Clean Water Act (CWA) which deals with regulations that affect water quality. Further, you may have to comply with the regulations under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). These regulations govern the disposal of solid and hazardous wastes to land. The Pollution Prevention Act that became national policy in 1990 urges the reduction of wastes discharged to water or placed on land. Also, if your facility is so large that you store and use large amounts of certain chemicals, you may be regulated under the Superfund Amendments Reauthorization Act (SARA) of 1986. Under Title III of SARA, requirements have been established regarding emergency planning and community right-to-know reporting.

   See our publication J-412, Waste Prevention and Recycling for Photographic Processing Facilities for ways to reduce the amount of waste from your facility.

   For questions regarding the applicability of these regulations to your operations, see our publication J-410, Dealing with Hazardous Waste and Processing Effluents at Photographic Processing Facilities and J-214, The Regulation of Silver in Photographic Processing Facilities or contact Kodak Environmental Services.

   For questions about the applicability of SARA to your operations, please contact Kodak Environmental Services.
   
   

2. How do I obtain a MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet)?
   Current Products

   For current products, a MSDS can be obtained from our Kodak MSDS web site.

   Films and Papers

   Kodak photographic films and papers are articles as defined in 29 CFR 1910.1200(c). Under normal conditions of use, they do not pose a physical hazard or health risk and, therefore, do not require a MSDS. If you have additional questions, please contact Kodak Environmental Services.

   Other Information

   If you have difficulty finding a MSDS, please contact our Kodak Information Center at 1-800-242-2424.
   
   

3. Do I need a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for film and paper?
   The MSDS is required by the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) to communicate any potential health or physical hazard that may be associated with the use of a chemical substance. Under normal conditions of use, Kodak's photographic films and papers to not pose a physical or health hazard. Also, they qualify as "articles" under OSHA at 29 Code of Federal Register 1910.1200 (c), and articles are exempt from the hazard communication programs of which MSDS form a part (See 29 CFR 1910.1200(b)(6)(v)). Therefore, an MSDS is not required for film or paper.
   
   
4. How do I dispose of photographic processing effluents?
   Most photographic processing effluents and washwaters contain chemicals which are biodegradable. They are, therefore, compatible with aerobic (with oxygen) biological treatment systems and are effectively treated when discharged to municipal sewer systems such as Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs). Septic systems operate with anaerobic (without oxygen) biological treatment. Therefore, septic systems do not have the ability to properly treat photographic processing effluents.

   Septic Systems

   If you are discharging to a septic system, Kodak recommends you manage your photographic processing effluents off-site. For additional information, refer to Information on Septic System Disposal.

   Sewer Systems

   Your local municipality establishes sewer codes or sewer discharge limits for commonly discharged materials. Limits are generally placed on parameters such as pH, Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Ammonia as Nitrogen, Total Suspended Solids (TSS), and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). If you are discharging to the local sewer system, you should obtain and review the discharge requirements for your area, and determine whether your photographic processing effluent can meet those limits established by your local municipality. For additional information on how to determine your local sewer codes, refer to our frequently asked question on local sewer codes and requirements.

   Kodak strongly recommends that you never pour silver-bearing effluents such as used fixers, bleach-fix, or stabilizers down the drain. Rather, you should use on-site or off-site silver-recovery methods for these solutions.

   On-Site Silver Recovery

   Waste silver-bearing solutions are hazardous wastes when discarded, and would most likely exceed discharge limits for silver. Efficient on-site silver recovery may make it possible to discharge effluent to most local POTW facilities. Information on on-site silver recovery options is available in our publication, J-215, Recovering Silver from Photographic Processing Solutions .

   Off-Site Silver Management

   Kodak has established a program designed specifically for Kodak customers who need off-site options for their solutions. For additional information, refer to our frequently asked question on the KODAK RELAY Program.
   
   

5. Do I need a permit to discharge my photographic processing effluent?
   Your need for a discharge permit depends on where your photographic processing effluent goes directly when it leaves your drains, on the volume of your discharge, and in some cases, on whether you perform silver recovery. If your drains discharge directly to the environment, e.g. to a lake, stream, river, or septic system, you need a permit. If you discharge to a Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW) or sewer system, check with your local municipality to see if you need a permit. Whatever your mode of discharge, Kodak recommends silver recovery for your silver-rich waste solutions.

   See the FAQ "How to dispose of photographic processing effluents" or our publication J-411, Dealing with Hazardous Waste and Processing Effluents at Photographic Processing Facilities for further details. See also the FAQ "Can I dispose of photographic processing solutions to my septic system?"
   
   

6. How do I find out what my local sewer codes and requirements are?
   To determine what the sewer codes established by your local municipality are, you will need to contact them directly. Your photographic processing effluents should generally be within sewer code requirements, once silver recovery has taken place. Do not discharge your fixer, bleach-fix, and stabilizer solutions without silver recovery because their silver content will most likely exceed discharge limits for silver.

   Information on typical sewer use code parameters and steps to compliance is available in our publication, J-411, Dealing with Hazardous Waste and Processing Effluents at Photographic Processing Facilities .
   
   

7. Am I required to wear personal protective equipment in a photographic processing facility?
   Under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Act, the federal government has passed regulations which provide for workplace protection of employees. This includes the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) whenever the possibility of contact with chemicals exists. An employer must perform a hazard assessment of his facility to evaluate what potential hazards may be present, then determine the types of PPE necessary to ensure worker safety against those potential hazards. Once that determination has been made and the employee has been trained in the use of the PPE, the employer and the employee are accountable for its correct use and maintenance at all times.

   Additional information on personal protective equipment is available in our publication, J-312, Personal Protective Equipment Requirements for Photographic Processing Facilities .
   
   

8. What is an HMIS rating and what does it mean?
   HMIS is the acronym for Hazardous Materials Identification System. This system serves to classify, through a series of ratings, the chemicals you use in your laboratory and color codes the information for easy recognition. This system was developed by the National Paint and Coatings Association (NPCA) in response to the requirement by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) that all chemicals in the workplace be labeled. The system utilizes four color bars and a space at the top where the name of the chemical should be written. The hazard classification categories are health (blue), flammability (red), and reactivity (yellow), and the ratings for a given chemical in any category may be 0 - minimal hazard, 1 - slight hazard, 2 - moderate hazard, 3 - serious hazard, or 4 - severe hazard. Personal Protective Equipment appropriate for the chemical's hazard is recommended as part of the rating system. If chronic health effects are known for a given chemical, the health hazard rating is flagged by the use of an asterisk (*).

   For further information on what constitutes a hazard, please contact Kodak Environmental Services.
   
   

9. What are NFPA ratings?
   NFPA is the acronym for National Fire Protection Association. The system rates the health, flammability, reactivity, and other hazards created by short-term exposures to chemicals during a fire or related emergency. It is a system of readily understood markings or signals consistent with the severity of the hazard posed and is intended to give basic information to fire-fighting and emergency personnel to enable them to quickly implement protective measures. For further information, please contact Kodak Environmental Services.
   
   

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Frequently Asked Questions provide information of limited or specific application. Responsibility for judging the applicability of the information for a specific use rests with the end user.

FAQ5025