Science Research 2016; 4(3): 79-87 http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/sr doi: 10.11648/j.sr.20160403.12 ISSN: 2329-0935 (Print); ISSN: 2329-0927 (Online) Development of Effective Urinal Odour Traps for Conventional Household Urinals, Urine Diversion Dry Toilets (UDDT) and Community Urine Collection Tanks Ababu T. Tiruneh 1 , William N. Ndlela 1 , Jonna Heikkilä 2 1 University of Swaziland, Department of Environmental Health Science, Mbabane, Swaziland 2 Turku University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Technology Environment and Business, Turku, Finland Email address: atiruneh@uniswa.sz (A. T. Tiruneh), wndlela@uniswa.sz (W. N. Ndlela), jonna.heikkila@turkuamk.fi (J. Heikkilä) To cite this article: Ababu T. Tiruneh, William N. Ndlela, Jonna Heikkilä. Development of Effective Urinal Odour Traps for Conventional Household Urinals, Urine Diversion Dry Toilets (UDDT) and Community Urine Collection Tanks. Science Research. Vol. 4, No. 3, 2016, pp. 79-87. doi: 10.11648/j.sr.20160403.12 Received: May 7, 2016; Accepted: May 16, 2016; Published: June 13, 2016 Abstract: Control of odour from urinal installations is an important task from considerations of health, hygiene and acceptability or use of these installations. Because of the problems associated with cost, technology and proprietary nature of many of the marketed technologies for odour control, there is a need to develop simple, easily adaptable and low cost technologies for odour traps in urinal installations. A research work was carried out for the development of simple and low cost odour control using devices that work on the principles of either buoyant force or gravity push combined with elastic band extension. The conceptual development of the odour trapping device arrangement and of the odour trapping mechanism is presented. The scientific model for determining the optimum elastic band extension for effective odour control is developed. Experiments were performed to verify the theoretical model relating force required for opening the odour trap with the optimum elastic band extension length. The experimental results were also used to determine the model parameters through regression. Different types of odour control devices were developed and installed to adapt to differing urinal installations including household level urinals, urine diversion dry toilets (UDDT) and community urine collection storage tanks. The devices, besides being simple and low cost, have more or less been found to work satisfactorily and effectively control odour from the urinal installations that they have been provided to. Keywords: Odour Control, Ammonia, Urinals, UDDT, Urine Smell, Toilets, Urine Tanks 1. Introduction Urinals are widely present in the traditional male toilets of society and as component of urine separation in urine diversion toilets (UDDT) used by both males and females [1]. A urinal is a specialized toilet for urinating only, which is used while standing up, and is designed for male users. Waterless urinals are popular in developed countries where sewer systems do not exist. They are of as much relevance to developing countries where sewer systems are the exception rather than the norm being confined to highly developed parts of cities [2]. Urinals save space and cost compared to toilets [3]. Apart from convenience, space and cost, the drive for nutrient recovery has led to increase in the use of source separated waste collection system such as urine diversion dry toilets that have separate bowl component for urine collection [4]. Water flushed urinals are traditionally common forms of urinals where water is used to flush away the urine and thereby control odour. They exist to date with varying designs that are progressively aimed at reducing the quantity of water used for flushing. However, conventional flush urinals require approximately 4 liters of water after each use or regularly based on a timer [3]. However, in some outdated flush urinal models as much as 20 liters of water may be used per flush [5]. Waterless urinals are favored over the traditional system of water flushed urinals due to the high water demand and the associated energy demand of the flushed urinals. Urine diversion dry toilets are one example where the urine diversion forms waterless urinal or separations that use low volume water for flushing residual