Smell: an overlooked factor in sanitation promotion
Abstract
Bad smell from human waste carries so many social, moral, aesthetic, and disease-related concerns that it represents a major barrier to successful sanitation adaptation for people all over the world. This paper summarizes the author's experiences from sanitation research in low- and middle-income settings from several continents and research disciplines, and addresses the often-overlooked issue of reduction of smell for effective sanitation promotion. The paper argues that people therefore have developed strategies to avoid smell, some of these being of concern to public health specialists. It is recommended that smell and smellavoiding strategies are integrated into all phases of sanitation promotion programmes, from investigatory, to design, and maintenance planning.
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Foul smell has been noted as a barrier for acquiring and using latrines.
“Foul smell has also been noted as a barrier for acquiring and using latrines [50].”
From Are pit latrines in urban areas of Sub-Saharan Africa performing? A review of usage, filling, insects and odour nuisances (2015) · cites this paper as [50]
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Nakagiri, A., Niwagaba, C. B., Nyenje, P. M., Kulabako, R. N., Tumuhairwe, J. B., & Kansiime, F. (2015) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-016-2772-z · Cited by 133 · see citing works
“Foul smell has also been noted as a barrier for acquiring and using latrines [50].”
BackgroundWinter, S., Dreibelbis, R., & Barchi, F. (2019) · Global Public Health · doi:10.1080/17441692.2018.1534256 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
- Authors
- Thilde Rheinländer, T. R., Bernard Keraita, B. K., Flemming Konradsen, F. K., Helle Samuelsen, H. S., & Anders Dalsgaard, A. D.
- Venue
- Waterlines
- Publisher
- Practical Action Publishing
- Published
- 2013-04-01
- Volume
- 32
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 106-112
- ISSN
- 0262-8104 (ISSN-L)
- 1756-3488
- OpenAlex
- W1985122033
- Cited by
- 27
- References
- 18
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 1 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 2.86
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Waterlines (publishedVersion)
- Research at the University of Copenhagen (University of Copenhagen) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Waste Management and Disposal › Wastewater Treatment and Reuse
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Child Nutrition and Water Access
- Physical Sciences › Chemical Engineering › Process Chemistry and Technology › Odor and Emission Control Technologies
- Keywords
- odor, human waste, sanitation promotion, low- and middle-income settings, disease transmission
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