[Jewelry making - Article 01282] - Re: [Orchid] Citri-Pickle

[Ed Art2]

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    The pickle maybe biodegradable, but if the residue is the blue/green
    of copper oxide, the copper oxide is somewhat toxic to most
    organisms. I've understood that a quart or so of spent pickle can
    "kill" a private household type septic system. So unless you first
    precipitate out the copper oxide somehow, the "biodegradability" is
    to me suspect? 

    Yes, the citric acid I use, in it's un-used state, is a food grade
    acid, a prominent ingredient to many soft drinks, candies and some
    baby foods.  Once "contaminated" with copper oxide, bad stuff,
    dispose carefully, but it is effective and not as environmentally
    reactive as sulfuric acid and it's derivatives. 

    Yes, by the way I was taught to mix it, at room temp it doesn't
    dissolve fully till heated then it should stay in solution, so it's
    not quite a super saturated solution, just in the neighborhood. 

    QUESTIONS: Is there a litmus or hydrometer test "standard" for
    Citric?  or for Sulfuric  for that matter?  And would some standard
    bench mark indicate when the pickle is fully used, other than color
    appearances? 

Hoping my comments and questions help others as well,
Ed

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