You finish your work in a darkroom and, you probably wonder whether there are regulations that pertain to pouring chemicals down the drain. Perhaps you look at the various chemical containers you need for photographic work and wonder whether you can organise them in a way to reduce the amount of waste they produce.

There’s no doubt that working in a darkroom or a photographic lab can expose workers to a host of chemicals. These chemicals also impact the environment if their waste is not managed properly. Plus, storing chemicals-especially those that are toxic or flammable-can be hazardous without proper awareness and training.

One idea is to follow the example of other types of labs and develop an internal marketplace for chemical exchange among university employees and students. For more about this and other best practices associated with working in a darkroom or photographic lab, as well as environmental laws and regulations, continue on through this section of the EVC.