Abstract: A non-rehalogenating bleaching composition for processing imagewise exposed and developed silver halide photographic elements comprising hydrogen peroxide, or a compound which releases hydrogen peroxide, and at least one compound of Formula I[MO.sub.2 C--(L.sup.1).sub.p ].sub.q --R--[(L.sup.2).sub.n --CO.sub.2 M].sub.m (I)wherein R is a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic hydrocarbon group, or a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic group containing at least one oxygen, nitrogen or sulfur atom;L.sup.1 and L.sup.2 are each independently a substituted or unsubstituted linking group wherein the linking group is attached to the carboxyl group by a carbon;n and p are independently 1 or 0;m and q are independently 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 and the sum of m+q is at least 1; andM is a hydrogen atom, an alkali metal, an alkalineearth metal or an ammonium ion.

Abstract: Imagewise exposed and developed black and white or color silver halide photographic elements are effectively bleached using a non-rehalogenating peroxide bleaching composition. This bleaching composition comprises hydrogen peroxide, or a precursor that can release hydrogen peroxide, and has a pH from 2 to 6, and at least one compound of Formula I:R--(O).sub.n --SO.sub.3 M (I)wherein R is a group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms; n is 0 or 1; and M is a hydrogen atom, an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal or an ammonium ion. Moreover, the bleaching composition is substantially free of rehalogenating agents, as well as complexes of a high valent metal ion and a polycarboxylic acid, an aminocarboxylic acid or a phosphonic acid.