Assessing public perception of odours in a community: case of Ayigya Zongo, an urban poor community in Ghana

Malodour has been identified as a barrier to utilization of sanitation facilities. It is generally recognized that for effective odour control measures to be implemented, the problem must first be quantified. With today's increasing levels of development, odour nuisance has become a major environmental issue. Citizen complaints about and reaction to odours caused by landfills (including refuse dump sites), waste water treatment plants (most of which are non-functional), public (communal) toilets, industrial processes, and other sources have made it difficult to secure sites for such facilities. Current trends show a community impact approach based on citizen involvement. This paper discusses a rapid baseline survey carried out as part of a community odour annoyance study conducted in Ayigya Zongo, an urban poor community in the Kumasi Metropolis in Ghana. The study quantified the public perception (impact) of all odours in the community through a face-to-face interview survey utilizing a structured questionnaire protocol. Responses from the survey were analysed with SPSS software program (version 20.0). Methods, results, and conclusions of the study are each discussed.