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Table 5 Pit latrine odour intensity and description

From: Are pit latrines in urban areas of Sub-Saharan Africa performing? A review of usage, filling, insects and odour nuisances

Source

Site

Pit latrine type

Odour intensity

odour description

J Lin, et al. [76]

Durban

VP dry pit

Weak

Sewage, phenol-like

 

strong

Rotten egg, sewage, rancid

 

VP wet pit

Medium

More of sewage than faecal, rotten egg

 

Strong

Rotten egg, sewage, rancid

 

Nairobi

VP

strong:

cheese, manure, horse, farmyard

 

Strong

cheese, manure, ammonia, urine

 

Kampala

VP 1

weak

farmyard, ammonia slightly urine, geosmin (earthy, moisture)

 

strong

rancid, rotten onion, phenylacetic acid-like

  

VP 2

medium

farmyard, ambrinol (earthy, moisture), rancid

 

strong

rancid, phenolic, rotten vegetable

CJ-Fo Chappuis, et al. [113]

Nairobi

 

Weak

barnyard

 

Durban

VIP

Weak

Animal, faecal