A radiograph with scratches is most likely caused by which handling issue?

• A. Scratched
• B. Splashed
• C. Fogged film
• D. Brown stains

Answer: (A)

Physical damage from how the film is handled is what causes scratches. When film is moved or transported with rough surfaces, against edges, or dragged across other films, the emulsion layer can be abraded or scraped away. That removal of emulsion creates thin white lines on the developed image, since those scratched areas no longer hold the latent image properly and reveal as lighter marks. It’s a purely handling-related issue, unlike splashing, which would smear chemical residues; fogging, which comes from light exposure or processing conditions; or brown stains, which come from chemical residues or aging. Keeping films handled only by the edges, using clean, smooth surfaces, and separating films during handling prevents these scratches.