Effluent treatment

A method of treating a photographic effluent to remove harmful pollutants, including heavy metal ions comprising silver and iron ions, comprising:

• (a) providing a vessel containing a liquid photographic effluent that includes harmful pollutants;
• (b) introducing into said vessel an oxidizing agent selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide, a percarbonate, a permanganate, a perchromate, a persulfate, a perphosphate, or a perborate to convert reducing sulfur compounds to oxidized products;
• (c) after a period of time sufficient for said oxidizing agent to convert reducing sulfur compounds to oxidized products, introducing into said vessel chemical reagents comprising a heavy metal ion precipitant selected from a metal hydroxide, oxide or carbonate, a developing agent absorbent, and a sequestering agent absorbent, thereby producing a mixture comprising a solid phase and an environmentally acceptable liquid phase;
• (d) separating and removing said solid phase from said liquid phase, wherein said liquid phase has silver and iron ions in a concentration of each of no more than about 2ppm;
• and
• (e) disposing of said solid phase.