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eISSN: 2083-5906
ISSN: 1230-1485
ISSN: 1230-1485
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Enhanced Nitrogen Removal Performance
of Anammox Process for Saline Wastewater
Treatment via Sheep Manure Biochar Addition
1
School of Materials and Environmental Engineering, Chengdu Technological University, Chengdu 611730, China
2
Sichuan Provincial Engineering Research Center of Livestock Manure Treatment and Recycling,
Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610068, China
3
Engineering & Technology Center of Groundwater Pollution Control for Environmental Protection in Sichuan,
Sichuan Geological Environment Survey and Research, Chengdu 610081, China
Submission date: 2025-09-08
Final revision date: 2025-11-23
Acceptance date: 2026-01-02
Online publication date: 2026-02-27
Corresponding author
Yixin Lu
School of Materials and Environmental Engineering, Chengdu Technological University, Chengdu 611730, China
School of Materials and Environmental Engineering, Chengdu Technological University, Chengdu 611730, China
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox) granular sludge was used to treat simulated saline
wastewater, and the effect and mechanism of sheep manure biochar (SMB) addition on the enhancement
of nitrogen removal performance when the process was inhibited by high salinity were investigated.
The results showed that the nitrogen removal effect deteriorated with increasing salinity as influent
salinity reached 2% and above. With a one-time addition of 5 g/L SMB, the reactors inhibited by 2%
and 3% influent salinity were able to recover their nitrogen removal performance after 18 and 34 days
of operation, respectively, and the total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiencies were stabilized at 90% or
more. At an influent salinity of 4%, the TN removal efficiency recovered to over 70% after dosing 5 g/L
of SMB twice and running for 43 days. For an influent salinity of 5%, the relief of salinity inhibition
by increasing the amount and frequency of SMB dosing was not significant. With its abundant pore
structure and rich surface functional groups, SMB created favorable conditions for promoting microbial
attachment and growth, extracellular polymeric substances secretion, sludge-specific anammox activity,
and electron transfer activity. The moderate dosing of SMB can effectively alleviate the inhibitory
effect of high salinity on nitrogen removal and provide a useful strategy for the efficient application
of the anammox process in saline wastewater treatment.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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