Disposing of Absorbent

w ripley · 3rd May 2008, 21:45

Is there any beneficial use of used absorbent? Is there an environmentally friendly way to dispose of it? It's amazing how much of it we're going thru.

Bill

***Beanie*** · 3rd May 2008, 22:16

its only chalk so mine goes in the compost.

jkaterenchuk · 3rd May 2008, 22:41

Someone once told me it great for spreading on your lawn instead of paying for sodalime if your dirt needs a PH change.

jlovold · 4th May 2008, 08:43

Quote: (Originally Posted by jkaterenchuk)

Someone once told me it great for spreading on your lawn instead of paying for sodalime if your dirt needs a PH change.

Someone once told me it doesn´t dissolve very well, and you should not throw it on your lawn... A landfill would probably be the best...

Dutchy · 4th May 2008, 09:28

Quote: (Originally Posted by Beanie)

its only chalk so mine goes in the compost.

If all is OK it's NOT

If all is ok you haven't completely exhausted your scrubber so there's a mixture of Lime and Chalk and of course the Sodium Hydroxid. This means that it does a good job in making an accid environment a little less accid.
I've tried it on my small lawn and it works fine although it remains visible for years. I used the larger spherasorb pallets, the fine grain Sofno may disintegrate and dissolve faster. The problem I have is the size of my lawn, I have more exhausted sorb than grass...

lizardland · 4th May 2008, 10:11

Quote: (Originally Posted by Dutchy)

the fine grain Sofno may disintegrate and dissolve faster.

Unfortunately it doesn't. I did an experiment a few years ago with piles of fine grade lime, a spoonful of lime in the bottom of a pint glass full of water a pile on the ground open to the elements and a thin layer on the surface. After a year there was no change in any of the three, they all looked like the day I put them there -- and this is in a very wet, rainy climate. I also made another jar of lime/water solution and left various materials in it, a piece of mild steel, a piece of stainless, a piece of new brass (a new Swagelok fitting), a piece of aluminium and a piece of sheet neoprene. Again, all the materials sat in the wet lime for a year, there was some surface rust on the mild steel and the brass fitting had turned green but apart from that no corrosion whatsoever. It's amazing what you think of to do when you're bored

I am shocked at the mindset of divers who dump lime at dive sites. Dorothea quarry in Wales is full of dumped lime that has been there for years dumped by ****wits too lazy to dispose of it properly. There's even a pile in the water just at the entry/exit point that has been there well over a year without dissolving where some tosser has dumped it. Absolute idiots.

Andy Del · 4th May 2008, 10:34

I've been told and seen evidence that it's quite good for citrus trees. All of my old sorb goes onto the lemon, mandarin and lime trees.

Of course, it doesn't help the need for a sort of acidic soil, so I have no real clue, but it sounds good, and the lemon tree at the dive resort I heard this is the mother of giant lemon trees!

Drmike · 4th May 2008, 12:23

Quote: (Originally Posted by w ripley)

Is there any beneficial use of used absorbent? Is there an environmentally friendly way to dispose of it? It's amazing how much of it we're going thru.

Bill

Monsieur D'enlay showing the correct use for used sorb:

following an aiming run (shown below) theres the full hit => Drmike : photos : 127m deep virgin (Cargo ship)- powered by SmugMug

Dutchy · 4th May 2008, 16:20

Quote: (Originally Posted by lizardland)

Unfortunately it doesn't. I did an experiment a few years ago with piles of fine grade lime, a spoonful of lime in the bottom of a pint glass full of water a pile on the ground open to the elements and a thin layer on the surface. After a year there was no change in any of the three, they all looked like the day I put them there -- and this is in a very wet, rainy climate. I also made another jar of lime/water solution and left various materials in it, a piece of mild steel, a piece of stainless, a piece of new brass (a new Swagelok fitting), a piece of aluminium and a piece of sheet neoprene. Again, all the materials sat in the wet lime for a year, there was some surface rust on the mild steel and the brass fitting had turned green but apart from that no corrosion whatsoever. It's amazing what you think of to do when you're bored

No surprise here. The soluability of chalk in water is very low. (Which is why a solution of CaOH is a good reagens for CO2 chalk is formed dispersing the light the 'solution' becomes white)
To really get rid of the chalk you need weathering (moist & frost do a great job) and an accid. In lakes and seas you won't find a truly accidic environment and weathering by moist freezing is absent. Some rotting processes produce citric accid. Which is why it may work in grass (with mosses) and in a compost heap. Dumping it on dive site isn't very elegant that I have to agree to. (unless on open sea)

diveladydive · 7th May 2008, 06:41

Quote: (Originally Posted by w ripley)

Is there any beneficial use of used absorbent? Is there an environmentally friendly way to dispose of it? It's amazing how much of it we're going thru.

Bill

water neutralizes the alkalinity in sorb (don't drink it! :-)

It can be disposed of as if it were standard garbage- it does no harm that I know of to the environment.

3rd May 2008, 21:45	#1 (permalink)
w ripley Sorta New Member Current Rebreather/s: Other CCR Other Rebreather/s: Megalodon Other CCR Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Norfolk VA USA Posts: 127	Disposing of Absorbent Is there any beneficial use of used absorbent? Is there an environmentally friendly way to dispose of it? It's amazing how much of it we're going thru. Bill
(Offline)

3rd May 2008, 22:16	#2 (permalink)
*Beanie* Politeness officer Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Other Rebreather/s: Inspiration Vision Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: In da house! yeah baby! Posts: 3,163	Re: Disposing of Absorbent its only chalk so mine goes in the compost. __________________ Beanie Gallery Admin & Library Assistant. www.outlawdivers.org.uk www.beandiving.co.uk www.beanengineering.co.uk www.divelife.co.uk
(Offline)

3rd May 2008, 22:41	#3 (permalink)
jkaterenchuk . Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Megalodon Classic Kiss Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: May 2006 Location: Lititz, PA Posts: 654	Re: Disposing of Absorbent Someone once told me it great for spreading on your lawn instead of paying for sodalime if your dirt needs a PH change.
(Offline)

4th May 2008, 08:43	#4 (permalink)
jlovold New Member Current Rebreather/s: Pelagian Other Rebreather/s: Pelagian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bergen, Norway Posts: 24	Re: Disposing of Absorbent Quote: (Originally Posted by jkaterenchuk) Someone once told me it great for spreading on your lawn instead of paying for sodalime if your dirt needs a PH change. Someone once told me it doesn´t dissolve very well, and you should not throw it on your lawn... A landfill would probably be the best...
(Offline)

4th May 2008, 09:28	#5 (permalink)
Dutchy SK#007 Current Rebreather/s: Sport Kiss Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Nieuwegein (The Netherlands) Posts: 699	Re: Disposing of Absorbent Quote: (Originally Posted by Beanie) its only chalk so mine goes in the compost. If all is OK it's NOT If all is ok you haven't completely exhausted your scrubber so there's a mixture of Lime and Chalk and of course the Sodium Hydroxid. This means that it does a good job in making an accid environment a little less accid. I've tried it on my small lawn and it works fine although it remains visible for years. I used the larger spherasorb pallets, the fine grain Sofno may disintegrate and dissolve faster. The problem I have is the size of my lawn, I have more exhausted sorb than grass... __________________ = This post is environmentally friendly. It is composed of 100% recycled electrons only. = SK #007
(Offline)

4th May 2008, 10:11	#6 (permalink)
lizardland Yak Current Rebreather/s: MK 15.X Home Build Other Rebreather/s: Classic Kiss Home Build Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: North... Posts: 1,189	Re: Disposing of Absorbent Quote: (Originally Posted by Dutchy) the fine grain Sofno may disintegrate and dissolve faster. Unfortunately it doesn't. I did an experiment a few years ago with piles of fine grade lime, a spoonful of lime in the bottom of a pint glass full of water a pile on the ground open to the elements and a thin layer on the surface. After a year there was no change in any of the three, they all looked like the day I put them there -- and this is in a very wet, rainy climate. I also made another jar of lime/water solution and left various materials in it, a piece of mild steel, a piece of stainless, a piece of new brass (a new Swagelok fitting), a piece of aluminium and a piece of sheet neoprene. Again, all the materials sat in the wet lime for a year, there was some surface rust on the mild steel and the brass fitting had turned green but apart from that no corrosion whatsoever. It's amazing what you think of to do when you're bored I am shocked at the mindset of divers who dump lime at dive sites. Dorothea quarry in Wales is full of dumped lime that has been there for years dumped by **wits too lazy to dispose of it properly. There's even a pile in the water just at the entry/exit point that has been there well over a year without dissolving where some tosser has dumped it. Absolute idiots. __________________ Can you imagine drifting along in the sea with your mouth open and a load of f*ing plankton going in? You'd like it, would you? www.westons-cider.co.uk Azerbaijani Association of Technical Divers Publicity Officer and Goat Wrangler
(Offline)

4th May 2008, 10:34	#7 (permalink)
Andy Del Classic KISSer Current Rebreather/s: Sport Kiss Classic Kiss Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Australia, Sunny Sydney Posts: 391	Re: Disposing of Absorbent I've been told and seen evidence that it's quite good for citrus trees. All of my old sorb goes onto the lemon, mandarin and lime trees. Of course, it doesn't help the need for a sort of acidic soil, so I have no real clue, but it sounds good, and the lemon tree at the dive resort I heard this is the mother of giant lemon trees! __________________ Yellow - the colour of greatness!
(Online)

4th May 2008, 16:20	#9 (permalink)
Dutchy SK#007 Current Rebreather/s: Sport Kiss Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Nieuwegein (The Netherlands) Posts: 699	Re: Disposing of Absorbent Quote: (Originally Posted by lizardland) Unfortunately it doesn't. I did an experiment a few years ago with piles of fine grade lime, a spoonful of lime in the bottom of a pint glass full of water a pile on the ground open to the elements and a thin layer on the surface. After a year there was no change in any of the three, they all looked like the day I put them there -- and this is in a very wet, rainy climate. I also made another jar of lime/water solution and left various materials in it, a piece of mild steel, a piece of stainless, a piece of new brass (a new Swagelok fitting), a piece of aluminium and a piece of sheet neoprene. Again, all the materials sat in the wet lime for a year, there was some surface rust on the mild steel and the brass fitting had turned green but apart from that no corrosion whatsoever. It's amazing what you think of to do when you're bored No surprise here. The soluability of chalk in water is very low. (Which is why a solution of CaOH is a good reagens for CO2 chalk is formed dispersing the light the 'solution' becomes white) To really get rid of the chalk you need weathering (moist & frost do a great job) and an accid. In lakes and seas you won't find a truly accidic environment and weathering by moist freezing is absent. Some rotting processes produce citric accid. Which is why it may work in grass (with mosses) and in a compost heap. Dumping it on dive site isn't very elegant that I have to agree to. (unless on open sea) __________________ = This post is environmentally friendly. It is composed of 100% recycled electrons only. = SK #007 Last edited by Dutchy : 4th May 2008 at 16:34. Reason: Wrote NaOH iso CaOH
(Offline)

7th May 2008, 06:41	#10 (permalink)
diveladydive New Member Current Rebreather/s: Optima Pelagian Other Rebreather/s: Megalodon Optima Titan Pelagian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Southeastern Florida Posts: 44	Re: Disposing of Absorbent Quote: (Originally Posted by w ripley) Is there any beneficial use of used absorbent? Is there an environmentally friendly way to dispose of it? It's amazing how much of it we're going thru. Bill water neutralizes the alkalinity in sorb (don't drink it! :-) It can be disposed of as if it were standard garbage- it does no harm that I know of to the environment. __________________ *Complacency: Self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by ignorance of actual dangers or deficiencies.* *Success: A journey in which the improbable becomes possible, leading to surprising levels of achievement.* *Dr. Peri M. Blum* *Normoxic CCR Instructor, IANTD* *Optima Instructor, IANTD* *Member, Board of Advisors, IANTD* *www.supremedivers.com* *561-901-9715* The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and the author’s alone.
(Offline)

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode