Team:ICT-Mumbai/Description
Identifying the problem
Ammonia formed due to hydrolysis of urine is a major cause of the stench that characterizes public toilets. Apart from putting off users, ammonia is also a health hazard.
Ammonia is irritating and corrosive. Exposure to high concentrations of ammonia in air causes immediate burning of the nose, throat and respiratory tract. This can cause bronchiolar and alveolar edema, and airway destruction resulting in respiratory distress or failure. Inhalation of lower concentrations can cause coughing, and nose and throat irritation. Ammonia’s odor provides adequate early warning of its presence, but ammonia also causes olfactory fatigue or adaptation, reducing awareness of one's prolonged exposure at low concentrations..
Apart from users, toilet janitors are exposed to ammonia for prolonged periods of time. In crowded localities, residents and shopkeepers in the vicinity of public toilets are also exposed to toxic ammonia fumes throughout the day.
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