Pouring several gallons of vinegar into the ground in the back yard isn't going to do any harm, I'm thinking.
The sludge is oxidized rust, and it's a mineral, not dissolved grease/oil or anything, and once exposed to air again, it just starts rusting away again, returning to its base elements or whatever it is that rust does with itself when it is done rusting. One 12 gallon load lasts 2-4 years at the rate that i'm going, although I'm really tempted to try Dick's 55-gallon molasses in a drum process.
Betcha molasses isn't hard on dirt or the water table, either. It isn't a chemical.
I don't toss anything else out that way, if that's any consolation.
-K
Christopher H <imperial67@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Kenyon,
Anything you dump into the ground eventually works its way into the water table. Your city should be able to direct you to a proper disposal site, and some cities and towns even pick up hazardous waste alongside your regular trash with nothing more than a phone call to ask them.
Chris in LA
On 12/29/05 10:08 AM, Kenyon Wills at imperialist1960@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
"A. Foster" <monkeypuzzle1@xxxxxxx> wrote:
If you want to strip fast, muriatic acid works good as well, it strips rust in minutes
instead of days.
Is muriatic acid caustic or dangerous? Is it OK for skin, or does it require special handling?
I have been in the habit of taking the used vinegar and rust-sludge and pouring it out on the back hillside, figuring that it wasn't an environmental danger. How does one dispose of muriatic acid when it's used up?
Kenyon Wills
<http://imperialclub.com/Yr/1960/Kenyon/Page01.htm>
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