Surface protection treatments, emissions & regulations

The episode focuses on a subject that may seem unimportant but that, instead, is quite relevant if we consider the recent and new intended use of ceramic surfaces (tables, countertops, etc).Since tiles now are used not only for floors and walls (but also for furniture: tables, top, countertops, ect) the contact with the food we eat is frequent and it must be considered.Given that ceramics are, by their very nature, one of the most hygienic and antiseptic material in the world, it is also true that surface protective treatments that are applied after the firing cycle may represent in this perspective a serious issue: the products involved in the process, unlike ceramics, do not undergo to any modification after treatment, being not transformed by the very high temperatures of the kilns.Even if toxic emissions provided by ceramic glass and protective products are extremely rare, it's nevertheless important to take stock and dissect the issue, looking more closely at all mechanisms (not only related to chemistry) that take place behind the scenes.