You noticed that the films you process are becoming successively lighter than the quality control film. What should you do?

The best approach to take when noticing that the films processed are becoming lighter than a quality control film is to check the processing chemical, particularly the developer. The developer solution is crucial to the development process, as it is responsible for converting the latent image on the film into a visible one. If the developer solution is depleted, improperly mixed, or not at the correct temperature or pH, it can lead to consistently lighter images.

Since the developer's effectiveness directly impacts film density, ensuring that the developer solution is in good condition is essential for achieving films with the desired contrast and quality. Regular monitoring and quality control of processing chemicals, particularly the developer, are standard practices in radiology to maintain consistent image quality.

While the other actions listed might seem relevant to adjusting film quality, they do not directly address the likely root cause of the issue. Increasing exposure time might lead to darker images, but if the developer is not functioning properly, it may still not resolve the problem. Changing the type of film could yield different results, but the existing film might still work correctly if the processing chemicals are optimal. Adjusting the temperature of the processing solution is also important, but if the developer is defective or exhausted, fixing the temperature alone may not solve the problem at