Social Acceptance and Efficiency of the Application of Masking Agents in Urban Areas

This paper presents and discusses the results of the project named “Jasmin” implemented in Algiers (Algeria) to control the strong odours of the river named Oued El Harrach, one of the largest rivers in the centre of the city, which is polluted with raw sewage and industrial effluents. Pending the achievement of curative solutions, a temporary option for mitigation nuisance odour by masking agents was implemented in the vicinity of the main bridges. The efficiency of this technology has been followed by means of an odour panel with the participation of representatives of all stakeholders. A sociologic study by means of 1000 questionnaires and face-to-face interviews of local populations demonstrated the benefits and the positive outcomes of the attenuation of odour nuisance: 70% of the population is satisfied or very satisfied with the application of masking agents and 96% of respondents support the continuation of the project. In terms of size and public access, the project “Jasmin” is a world first demonstration of odour control in urban areas in developing countries.