METHOD FOR PROCESSING SILVER HALIDE PHOTOSENSITIVE MATERIALS INCLUDING THE REPLENISHING OF WASHING WATER HAVING A CONTROLLED AMOUNT OF CALCIUM AND MAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS

摘要

In a method for processing silver halide photosensitive materials comprising developing an exposed silver halide photosensitive material, fixing the developed material and washing it with a washing water, the amount of calcium and magnesium compounds present in the replenishing washing water is reduced to not more than 5 mg/l on the basis of the weight of elemental calcium or magnesium and washing water is replenished in an amount of 1 to 50 times the volume of liquid carried over by the photosensitive material from a bath preceding the washing bath per unit area thereof or that the replenishing washing water is introduced into a washing bath after reducing the amount of calcium and magnesium compounds to the range mentioned above and sterilizing the same. The method makes it possible to substantially reduce the amount of washing water while reliably suppressing turbidity and proliferation of microorganisms in the washing water during and after completion of processing.