What is the effect of using an inadequate amount of beryllium in the x-ray tube?

Using an inadequate amount of beryllium in the x-ray tube is likely to reduce image contrast. Beryllium is often used as a window material in x-ray tubes, especially in mammography, due to its low atomic number and excellent transmission of x-rays. If the amount of beryllium is insufficient, the x-ray beam may not adequately filter lower-energy photons effectively, which can lead to a higher proportion of these lower-energy photons being present in the beam.

Lower-energy photons contribute to scatter and do not effectively penetrate tissue, ultimately leading to a decrease in image quality and contrast. High contrast is necessary to differentiate between various tissues and to identify potential abnormalities within the breast tissue. Therefore, having too little beryllium compromises the x-ray's ability to produce high-quality images, which is crucial in mammography for detecting breast cancer and other pathologies.