Discover the Editor's Choice: From each issue of the leading journal Water Science & Technology the core team of editors select one outstanding paper to share across IWA Publishing platforms.
IWA Publishing is pleased to announce that the 38th Editor's Choice Paper, chosen by Marie Noelle Pons is now Open Access:
C. Chicaiza, L. Huaraca, C. E. Almeida-Naranjo, V. H. Guerrero and C. A. Villamar
https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2020.139
Why was this paper selected for Editor's Choice?
In many rural places in the world, sanitation remains a critical challenge. Biofilters combining earthworms and microorganisms offer a low cost and easy-to-maintain solution. Researchers from Ecuador and Chile have tested the response of this non-conventional wastewater treatment to intermittent feeding in order to optimize the efficiency of the device. Indeed, after 70 days of operation it could be demonstrated that intermittent feeding improves both nitrification and phosphorus removal. I recommend this well-organized and carefully written paper for its scientific content and for the incentive it represents to develop easy-to-adopt solutions for rural communities in developing countries.
Marie Noelle Pons, Editor.