Multidimensional Benefits of Improved Sanitation: Evaluating ‘PEE POWER®’in Kisoro, Uganda.
Open accessAbstract
With 2.3 billion people around the world lacking adequate sanitation services, attention has turned to alternative service provision models. This study suggests an approach for meeting the sanitation challenge, especially as expressed in Sustainable Development Goal 6.2, using a toilet technology system, such as Pee Power® that generates electricity using diverted urine as a fuel. A field trial was carried out in a girls' school in Kisoro, Uganda, where the generated electricity was used to light the existing toilet block. The trial was evaluated in terms of social acceptability and user experience using a multidimensional assessment protocol. The results of our assessment show that users felt safer when visiting the toilets at night. Lights provided from the technology also helped with the perceived cleanliness of the toilets. The technology was well accepted, with 97% of the respondents saying that they liked the idea of the Pee Power® technology and 94% preferring it over other facilities on site. This shows how the technology helps meet SDG target 6.2, with its particular focus on vulnerable populations.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The Safety and Security domain is well-researched; 82 (32%) articles document links between WASH and safety and security, yet only one study evaluated a program that improved perceived safety.
“For example, the Safety and Security domain is well-researched; 82 (32%) articles document links between WASH and safety and security, yet only one study evaluated a program that improved perceived safety [257].”
From Water, sanitation, and women’s empowerment: A systematic review and qualitative metasynthesis (2022) · cites this paper as [257]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Prüss-Ustün, A., Wolf, J., Bartram, J., Clasen, T., Cumming, O., Freeman, M. C., Gordon, B., Hunter, P. R., Medlicott, K., & Johnston, R. (2019) · International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health · doi:10.1016/j.ijheh.2019.05.004 · Cited by 1,308 · see citing works
Spears, D., Ghosh, A., & Cumming, O. (2013) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0073784 · Cited by 374 · see citing works
Lin, A., Arnold, B. F., Afreen, S., Goto, R., Huda, T. M. N., Haque, R., Raqib, R., UNICOMB, L. E., Ahmed, T., Colford, J. M., et al. (2013) · American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene · doi:10.4269/ajtmh.12-0629 · Cited by 347 · see citing works
Ecological Sanitation—a way to solve global sanitation problems?
Langergraber, G., & Muellegger, E. (2004) · Environment International · doi:10.1016/j.envint.2004.08.006 · Cited by 330 · see citing works
Hutton, G., & Chase, C. (2016) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph13060536 · Cited by 329 · see citing works
Sahoo, K. C., Hulland, K. R. S., Caruso, B. A., Swain, R., Freeman, M. C., Panigrahi, P., & Dreibelbis, R. (2015) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.06.031 · Cited by 300 · see citing works
Water and Sanitation in Schools: A Systematic Review of the Health and Educational Outcomes
Jasper, C., Le, T.-T., & Bartram, J. (2012) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph9082772 · Cited by 270 · see citing works
Rah, J. H., Cronin, A. A., Badgaiyan, B., Aguayo, V. M., Coates, S., & Ahmed, S. (2015) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2014-005180 · Cited by 269 · see citing works
Community-Led Total Sanitation: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review of Evidence and Its Quality
Venkataramanan, V., Crocker, J., Karon, A. J., & Bartram, J. (2018) · Environmental Health Perspectives · doi:10.1289/ehp1965 · Cited by 195 · see citing works
Pee power urinal – microbial fuel cell technology field trials in the context of sanitation
Ieropoulos, I. A., Stinchcombe, A., Gajda, I., Forbes, S., Merino-Jiménez, I., Pasternak, G., Sánchez-Herranz, D., & Greenman, J. (2016) · Environmental Science Water Research & Technology · doi:10.1039/c5ew00270b · Cited by 192 · see citing works
Cheng, J. J., Schuster-Wallace, C. J., Watt, S., Newbold, B. K., & Mente, A. (2012) · Environmental Health · doi:10.1186/1476-069x-11-4 · Cited by 168 · see citing works
Caruso, B. A., Clasen, T. F., Hadley, C., Yount, K. M., Haardörfer, R., Rout, M., Dasmohapatra, M., & Cooper, H. L. (2017) · BMJ Global Health · doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2017-000414 · Cited by 165 · see citing works
Sanitation, stress, and life stage: A systematic data collection study among women in Odisha, India.
Hulland, K. R. S., Chase, R. P., Caruso, B. A., Swain, R., Biswal, B., Sahoo, K. C., Panigrahi, P., & Dreibelbis, R. (2015) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0141883 · Cited by 152 · see citing works
Household sanitation facilities and women's risk of non-partner sexual violence in India
Jadhav, A., Weitzman, A., & Smith-Greenaway, E. (2016) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-016-3797-z · Cited by 148 · see citing works
Padhi, B. K., Baker, K. K., Dutta, A., Cumming, O., Freeman, M. C., Satpathy, R., Das, B. S., & Panigrahi, P. (2015) · PLoS Medicine · doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001851 · Cited by 138 · see citing works
Boosey, R., Prestwich, G., & Deave, T. (2014) · Pan African Medical Journal · doi:10.11604/pamj.2014.19.253.5313 · Cited by 122 · see citing works
Why gender matters in the solution towards safe sanitation? Reflections from rural India.
Khanna, T., & Das, M. (2016) · Global Public Health · doi:10.1080/17441692.2015.1062905 · Cited by 120 · see citing works
Winter, S. C., & Barchi, F. (2016) · International Journal of Environmental Health Research · doi:10.1080/09603123.2015.1111309 · Cited by 110 · see citing works
Intersections of ‘sanitation, sexual coercion and girls’ safety in schools’
Abrahams, N., Mathews, S., & Ramela, P. (2006) · Tropical Medicine & International Health · doi:10.1111/j.1365-3156.2006.01600.x · Cited by 96 · see citing works
Descending the sanitation ladder in urban Uganda: evidence from Kampala Slums
Kwiringira, J., Atekyereza, P., Niwagaba, C., & Günther, I. (2014) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/1471-2458-14-624 · Cited by 96 · see citing works
Nawab, B., Nyborg, I., Esser, K. B., & Jenssen, P. D. (2006) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2006.07.005 · Cited by 94 · see citing works
From toilet insecurity to toilet security: creating safe sanitation for women and girls
O’Reilly, K. (2015) · Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews Water · doi:10.1002/wat2.1122 · Cited by 90 · see citing works
A literature review of the non-health impacts of sanitation
Joanna Pearson, J. P., & Kate Mcphedran, K. M. (2008) · Waterlines · doi:10.3362/1756-3488.2008.005 · Cited by 76 · see citing works
Werner, C., Panesar, A., Rüd, S., & Olt, C. U. (2009) · Desalination · doi:10.1016/j.desal.2008.05.080 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
Estimation and Mapping of Sub-National GDP in Uganda Using NPP-VIIRS Imagery
Wang, X., Rafa, M., Moyer, J. D., Li, J., Sutton, P. C., & Scheer, J. (2019) · Remote Sensing · doi:10.3390/rs11020163 · Cited by 69 · see citing works
Spears, D., Ghosh, A., & Cumming, O. (2013) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/annotation/9ffcb740-f394-41af-bbbc-800c7cc25ea8 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
Talking shit: is Community‐Led Total Sanitation a radical and revolutionary approach to sanitation?
Galvin, M. (2014) · Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews Water · doi:10.1002/wat2.1055 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
For her it's the big issue: putting women at the centre of water supply, sanitation and hygiene.
Fisher, J. (2006) · Loughborough University Institutional Repository (Loughborough University) · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Exploiting the co-benefits of ecological sanitation
Haq, G., & Cambridge, H. (2012) · Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability · doi:10.1016/j.cosust.2012.09.002 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Staddon, C., Rogers, J., Warriner, C., Ward, S., & Powell, W. (2018) · Water International · doi:10.1080/02508060.2018.1535417 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Tumwebaze, I. K., Orach, C. G., Kalyango, J. N., Karamagi, C., Luethi, C., & Niwagaba, C. B. (2011) · International Journal of Environmental Health Research · doi:10.1080/09603123.2010.550036 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Perceptions of gender-based violence around public toilets in Mumbai slums.
Belur, J., Parikh, P., Daruwalla, N., Joshi, R., & Fernandes, R. (2017) · International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice · doi:10.1080/01924036.2016.1240094 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Salles-Filho, S. L. M., Ávila, A. F. D., Alonso, J. E. O. S., & Colugnati, F. A. B. (2010) · Research Evaluation · doi:10.3152/095820210x12904313498360 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Addressing girls’ challenges of water and sanitation in a rural schooling context in Swaziland.
Mbatha, T. (2011) · Agenda · doi:10.1080/10130950.2011.575995 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Women, water and sanitation - challenges and prospects
Laryea, N. O., Dotse, F. M., Fiasorgbor, D., & Ampadu-Boakye, J. (2008) · Loughborough University Institutional Repository (Loughborough University) · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Sanitation, health, and hygiene in World Bank : rural water supply and sanitation projects
Klees, R., Lawson-Doe, M., Godinho, J. R. S., & Abdulin, S. D. (2016) · Cited by 1 · see citing works
A multidimensional assessment of efficient lighting technologies in the industrial sector
Henriques, C., Coelho, D., & Cardoso, H. (2017) · doi:10.1109/es2de.2017.8015341 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Water, sanitation, and women’s empowerment: A systematic review and qualitative metasynthesis
Caruso, B. A., Conrad, A., Patrick, M., Owens, A., Kviten, K., Zarella, O., Rogers, H., & Sinharoy, S. S. (2022) · PLOS Water · doi:10.1371/journal.pwat.0000026 · Cited by 94 · see citing works
Drinking Water Security Challenges in Rohingya Refugee Camps of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh
Akhter, M., Uddin, S. M. N., Rafa, N., Hridi, S. M., Staddon, C., & Powell, W. (2020) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su12187325 · Cited by 68 · see citing works
Walter, X. A., Madrid, E., Gajda, I., Greenman, J., & Ieropoulos, I. A. (2021) · Journal of Power Sources · doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2021.230875 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Salar-García, M. J., Obata, O., Kurt, H., Chandran, K., Greenman, J., & Ieropoulos, I. A. (2020) · Microorganisms · doi:10.3390/microorganisms8121921 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Exploring the nexus of gender and energy transitions: A systematic literature review
Cellini, M., Loos, S., Mirenda, C., Pisacane, L., Striebing, C., & Tagliacozzo, S. (2024) · Energy Research & Social Science · doi:10.1016/j.erss.2024.103887 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Empowering quality education through sustainable and equitable electricity access in African schools
Moner‐Girona, M., Fahl, F., Kakoulaki, G., Kim, D., Maduako, I., Szabo, S., Nhamo, G., Sovacool, B. K., & Weiss, D. J. (2025) · Joule · doi:10.1016/j.joule.2024.12.005 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Sutherland, C., Reynaert, E., Sindall, R., Riechmann, M. E., Magwaza, F., Lienert, J., Buthelezi, S., Khumalo, D., Dhlamini, S., Morgenroth, E., et al. (2021) · The Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149024 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Development of a Bio-Digital Interface Powered by Microbial Fuel Cells
You, J., Mendis, A., Greenman, J., Freeman, J., Wolff, S., Armstrong, R., Hughes, R., & Ieropoulos, I. A. (2022) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su14031735 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Self-citationHydrogel-derived materials for microbial fuel cell
Fattah, I. M. R., Alom, J., Zaman, J. U., Ban, S., Veza, I., Kalam, M. A., Hessel, V., & Ahmed, M. B. (2024) · Journal of Power Sources · doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2024.235688 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Schröder, U., Harnisch, F., Heidrich, E. S., Ieropoulos, I. A., Logan, B. E., Nath, D., Pant, D., Patil, S. A., Puig, S., Ren, J., et al. (2026) · Frontiers in Science · doi:10.3389/fsci.2026.1688727 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Electrosynthesis, modulation, and self-driven electroseparation in microbial fuel cells
Gajda, I., You, J., Mendis, A., Greenman, J., & Ieropoulos, I. A. (2021) · iScience · doi:10.1016/j.isci.2021.102805 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Self-citationWalter, X. A., You, J., Gajda, I., Greenman, J., & Ieropoulos, I. A. (2023) · Journal of Power Sources · doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2023.232708 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Self-citationYou, J., Walter, X. A., Gajda, I., Greenman, J., & Ieropoulos, I. A. (2024) · International Journal of Hydrogen Energy · doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2024.01.042 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Self-citationBioelectrochemical systems for the detection and removal of environmental pollutants
Chavez, M. S., Chen, W.-C., Li, S., & Ajo-Franklin, C. M. (2026) · Current Opinion in Biotechnology · doi:10.1016/j.copbio.2026.103456 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Biofuel cell: existing formats, production level, constraints, and potential uses
Ghangrekar, M. M., Das, S., & Das, S. (2021) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-822810-4.00028-2 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Gajda, I., You, J., Willey, N., Thorn, R. M. S., & Reynolds, D. M. (2025) · ACS ES&T Engineering · doi:10.1021/acsestengg.5c00941 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Self-citationTowards sustainable water engineering: Insights and inferences for the future
Charlesworth, S. M., Booth, C. A., & Adeyeye, K. (2020) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-816120-3.00003-8
Pilot-scale bioelectrochemical reactors for urine treatment and resource recovery
Walter, X. A., You, J., Madrid, E., Gajda, I., Greenman, J., & Ieropoulos, I. A. (2022) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-323-90627-2.00025-3
Self-citationThe Technologies used in sanitation delivery in Mukuru kwa Reuben, Kenya
Kiprono, E., Riungu, J. N., & Kirimi, L. M. (2025) · African Journal of Science Technology and Social Sciences · doi:10.58506/ajstss.v4i2.278
Armstrong, R., & Moodley, D. (2026) · AI & Society · doi:10.1007/s00146-026-03301-5
- Authors
- You, J., Staddon, C., Cook, A., Walker, J., Boulton, J., Powell, W., & Ieropoulos, I.
- Affiliations
- University of the West of England (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Staddon, Chad
- Venue
- International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2020-03-25
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 2175
- ISSN
- 1660-4601 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC7177953
- OpenAlex
- W3009551047
- Cited by
- 20
- References
- 37
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 3
- FWCI
- 1.69
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- dx.doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (acceptedVersion)
- UWE Research Repository (UWE Bristol) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Lloyd's Register Foundation (G0068)
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP1149065, OPP1189676)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Waste Management and Disposal › Wastewater Treatment and Reuse
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender Studies and Social Issues
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Child Nutrition and Water Access
- Keywords
- urine diversion, sanitation technology, school toilets, social acceptance, user experience, perceived safety, vulnerable populations
- MeSH terms
- Sustainable Development, Child, Female, Humans, Safety, Sanitation, Schools, Toilet Facilities, Uganda
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review