What is a sign that film processing solutions may not be functioning correctly?

Frequent fogging of images is a key sign that film processing solutions may not be functioning correctly. Fogging occurs when the film becomes unintentionally exposed to light or radiation, which can happen if the processing chemicals are depleted, contaminated, or not mixed properly. This results in a loss of quality where the details in the image become obscured, and the overall contrast diminishes. Maintaining proper chemical efficacy is crucial in radiographic imaging, as it ensures images are clear and diagnostic value is retained.

In contrast, consistently clear images may indicate that the processing solutions are working well, while increased sharpness of images suggests optimal processing conditions. Images that are overexposed usually point to issues with exposure settings rather than the processing solutions themselves. Thus, fogging is a clear indicator of a problem with the processing solutions.