The problem can be prevented by which practice?

• A. Allowing the flotation bath water to stand overnight
• B. Replacing blade
• C. Shortening dehydration
• D. Using cold water

Answer: (A)

The main idea is keeping the flotation bath free of surface contaminants so sections can flatten smoothly onto slides. When the water is allowed to stand, heavier debris and some contaminants settle to the bottom rather than float on the surface, reducing the chance these particles will interact with the tissue as it’s floated and laid down. This helps prevent artifacts like wrinkles or residues on the mounted sections. Other options don’t address this surface quality issue: replacing the blade affects cutting quality, not flotation artifacts; shortening dehydration can cause under-dehydration and embedding problems; using cold water makes the sections stiffer and harder to flatten.