In NDT radiography, film processing generates wastewater rich in silver — a regulated heavy metal and valuable resource. During development, the developer converts exposed silver halides into metallic silver, while the fixer dissolves the unexposed crystals. The used fixer, now saturated with dissolved silver, becomes silver-laden wastewater.

Without proper treatment, this waste poses environmental and regulatory risks. Automated systems like Metafix MBX units recover 99.99% of silver from fixer and developer solutions, ensuring full compliance while turning waste into revenue.