Experimental study of nitrite accumulation in predenitrification biological nitrogen removal process

The effect of dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration on nitrite accumulation was investigated in a pilot-scale pre-denitrification process at room temperature for 100 days. In the first 10 days, due to the instability of the system, the DO concentration fluctuated between 1.0 and 2.0 mg/L. In the next 14 days, the DO concentration was kept at 0.5 mg/L and nitrite accumulation occurred, with the average nitrite accumulation rate at 91%. From the 25th day, the DO concentration was increased to 2.0 mg/L to destroy the nitrite accumulation, but nitrite accumulation rate was still as high as 90%. From the 38th day the nitrite accumulation rate decreased to 15%–30% linearly. From the 50th day, DO concentration was decreased to 0.5 mg/L to resume nitrite accumulation. Until the 83rd day the nitrite accumulation rate began to increase to 80%. Dissolved oxygen was the main cause of nitrite accumulation, taking into account other factors such as pH, free ammonia concentration, temperature, and sludge retention time. Because of the different affinity for oxygen between nitrite oxidizing bacteria and ammonia oxidizing bacteria when DO concentration was kept at 0.5 mg/L, nitrite accumulation occurred.     

Unveiling the interaction mechanisms of key functional microorganisms in the partial denitrification-anammox process induced by COD

● The availability of PD-anammox was investigated with higher NO₃^––N concentration. ● NO₃^––N concentration affects NO₃^––N accumulation during denitrification. ● COD concentration is determinant for N removal pathways in PD-anammox process. ● The synergy/competition mechanisms between denitrifiers and anammox was explored. Partial denitrification-anammox (PD-anammox) is an innovative process to remove nitrate (NO₃^––N) and ammonia (NH₄⁺–N) simultaneously from wastewater. Stable operation of the PD-anammox process relies on the synergy and competition between anammox bacteria and denitrifiers. However, the mechanism of metabolic between the functional bacteria in the PD-anammox system remains unclear, especially in the treatment of high-strength wastewater. The kinetics of nitrite (NO₂^––N) accumulation during denitrification was investigated using the Michaelis-Menten equation, and it was found that low concentrations of NO₃^––N had a more significant effect on the accumulation of NO₂^––N during denitrification. Organic matter was a key factor to regulate the synergy of anammox and denitrification, and altered the nitrogen removal pathways. The competition for NO₂^––N caused by high COD concentration was a crucial factor that affecting the system stability. Illumina sequencing techniques demonstrated that excess organic matter promoted the relative abundance of the Denitratesoma genus and the nitrite reductase gene nirS, causing the denitrifying bacteria Denitratisoma to compete with Cadidatus Kuenenia for NO₂^––N, thereby affecting the stability of the system. Synergistic carbon and nitrogen removal between partial denitrifiers and anammox bacteria can be effectively achieved by controlling the COD and COD/NO₃^––N.     

E. coli and bacteriophage MS2 disinfection by UV,ozone and the combined UV and ozone processes

The combination of low-dose ozone with ultraviolet （UV） irradiation should be an option to give benefit to disinfection and reduce drawbacks of UV and ozone disinfection. However, less is known about the disinfection performance of UV and ozone （UV/ozone） coexposure and sequential UV-followed-by-ozone （UV- ozone） and ozone-followed-by-UV （ozone-UV） expo- sures. In this study, inactivation of E. coli and bacterioph- age MS2 by UV, ozone, UV/ozone coexposure, and sequential UV-ozone and ozone-UV exposures was investigated and compared. Synergistic effects of 0.5-0.9 log kill on E. coli inactivation, including increases in the rate and efficiency, were observed after the UV/ozone coexposure at ozone concentrations as low as 0.05 mg-L-1 in ultrapure water. The coexposure with 0.02-mg.L-1 ozone did not enhance the inactivation but repressed E. coli photoreactivation. Little enhancement on E. coli inactivation was found after the sequential UV-ozone or ozone-UV exposures. The synergistic effect on MS2 inactivation was less significant after the UV/ozone coexposure, and more significant after the sequential ozone-UV and UV-ozone exposures, which was 0.2 log kill for the former and 0.8 log kill for the latter two processes, at ozone dose of 0.1 mg. t-1 and UV dose of 8.55 mJ. cm 2 in ultrapure water. The synergistic effects on disinfection were also observed in tap water. These results show that the combination of UV and low-dose ozone is a promising technology for securing microbiological quality of water.     

土壤氨氧化细菌对大气CO2浓度增高的响应

利用FACE(free-air carbon dioxide enrichment,开放式空气CO2浓度增高)试验平台,研究大气CO2浓度增高对土壤氨氧化细菌的数量、优势菌群及其硝化活性的影响.结果表明,大气CO2浓度增高时,土壤氨氧化细菌的数量在常氮水平上趋于减少,而在高氮水平上与对照没有差异.大气CO2浓度增高对土壤氨氧化细菌的优势菌群也产生明显影响.CO2浓度增高条件下,亚硝化球菌(Nitrosococcus sp.)和亚硝化弧菌(Nitrosovibrio sp.)是优势菌属;而在对照条件下,亚硝化单胞菌(Nitrosomonas sp.)和亚硝化球菌(Nitrosococcus sp.)是优势菌属.另外,CO2浓度增高条件下优势菌株的硝化活性也有不同程度的减弱.     

不同C/N值下亚硝酸盐氧化菌和异养菌混合体系的微生物多样性

采用PCR-RFLP技术研究了不同C/N比下亚硝酸盐氧化菌及异养菌混合体系的微牛物多样性,并探讨了微生物菌群结构与其功能(硝化件能)的关系.C/N=0时,混合体系主要由自养菌和寡营养菌(85.1%)组成,包括亚硝酸盐氧化菌(NOB)、拟杆菌门、α-变形菌纲、浮霉菌门和绿色非硫细菌中的一些菌株.C/N=0.44时,混合体系中的自养菌减少,异养菌(主要是γ-变形菌纲的成员)大量出现.C/N=8.82时,γ-变形菌纲的菌株尤其是反硝化菌Pseudomonas sp.占主导(93.8%),与此同时,随着C/N升高,该混合体系的硝化性能也由专一的亚硝酸盐氧化过程转变为同时硝化反硝化过程.微生物菌群结构的转变较好地解释了其硝化性能的改变.本研究揭示了微生物菌群结构与其功能的内在联系,同时表明PCR-RFLP技术与化学分析相结合是研究微生物菌群结构与功能的有力工具.图3表2参13     

Biological production of nitrite in seawater

The relative importance of 3 different sources for biological production of nitrite in seawater was studied. Decomposition of fecal pellets of the copepod Calanus helgolandicus (at a concentration of approximately 12 g-at N/l), in seawater medium, released small amounts of ammonia over a 6 week period. It nitrifying bacteria were added to the fecal pellets nitrite was barely detectable over the same period. Decomposition of phytoplankton (present at a concentration of about 8 g-at particulate plant N/l) with added heterotrophic bacteria, released moderate amounts of ammonia over a 12 week period. If the ammonia-oxidizing bacterium Nitrosocystis oceanus was added to the decomposing algae, nitrite was produced at a rate of 0.2 g-at N/l/week. Heterotrophic nitrification was not observed when 7 open-ocean bacteria were tested for their ability to oxidize ammonia. The diatom Skeletonema costatum, either non-starved or starved of nitrogen, produced nitrite when growing with 150 or 50 g-at NO ₂ ^- -N/l at a light intensity of about 0.01 ly/min. When nitrate in the medium was exhausted, S. costatum assimilated nitrite. If starved of vitamin B₁₂, both non-N-starved and N-starved cells of S. costatum produced nitrite in the medium with 150 g-at NO ₃ ^- -N/l. Nitrate was not exhausted and cell densities reached 2x10⁵/ml due to vitamin B₁₂ deficiency. If light intensity was reduced to 0.003 ly/min under otherwise similar conditions, cells did not grow due to insufficient light, and nitrite was not produced. In the sea, it appears that, in certain micro-environments, decomposition of particulate matter releases ammonia with its subsequent oxidation to nitrite. The amounts of these nutrients and the rate at which they are produced are dependent upon the nature of the materials undergoing decomposition and the associated bacteria. In certain other areas of the sea, where phytoplankton standing stock is high and nitrate is non-limiting, excretion by these organisms is a major source of nitrite.     

Mechanism studies on nitrogen removal when treating ammonium-rich leachate by sequencing batch biofilm reactor

The nitrogen removal mechanism was studied and analyzed when treating the ammonium-rich landfill leachate by a set of sequencing batch biofilm reactors (SBBRs), which was designed independently. At the liquid temperature of (32 ± 0.4)°C, and after a 58-days domestication period and a 33-days stabilization period, the efficiency of ammonium removal in the SBBR went up to 95%. Highly frequent intermittent aeration suppressed the activity of nitratebacteria, and also eliminated the influence on the activity of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX) bacteria and nitritebacteria. This influence was caused by the accumulation of nitrous acid and the undulation of pH. During the aeration stage, the concentration of dissolved oxygen was controlled at 1.2–1.4 mg/L. The nitritebacteria became dominant and nitrite accumulated gradually. During the anoxic stage, along with the concentration debasement of the dissolved oxygen, ANAMMOX bacteria became dominant; then, the nitrite that was accumulated in the aeration stage was wiped off with ammonium simultaneously.     

The impact of ultrasonic treatment on activity of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in activated sludge

Conditions for ultrasonic treatment to achieve partial nitritation are optimized. Ultrasound reduces metabolic activity and releases intracellular metabolites. Mechanical shearing is essential to inhibit nitrite oxidation. The ultrasonic treatment of sludge has been considered as an effective method to facilitate the partial nitritation of municipal sewage. This study aims to reveal the effects of ultrasound on ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB). The impact factors including ultrasonic irradiation time and intensity, sludge concentration, thermal effect and released free radicals were studied. The maximized difference between the changes in AOB and NOB activities were obtained with 10 g mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS)/L, using 0.9 kJ/mL ultrasonic energy density and 12 h interval time. The increased ultrasonic intensity destroyed the floc structure of activated sludge, increased the microbial death, and decreased the cellular ATP level. Further, the mechanism exploration indicated that the mechanical shearing could be a critical factor in achieving the nitritation with inhibitory effect on nitrite oxidation.     

Benzene removal by nano magnetic particles under continuous condition from aqueous solutions

Benzene removal evaluated using Fe304 nano continuous condition. A 44 initial benzene concentration, from aqueous solutions was magnetic particles （NM） in factorial design including NM dose, contact time and pH was investigated in 16 experiments （Taguchi OA design）. The results indicated that all factors were significant and the optimum condition was： pH 8, NM dose of 2000 mg.L-1, benzene concentrations of 100 mg.L-1 and contact time of 14min. The maximum benzene uptake and distribution ratio in the optimum situation were 49.4mg.g-1 and 38.4L.g-1, respectively. The nano particles were shown to capture 98.7% of the benzene in optimum batch condition and 94.5% in continuous condition. The isotherm data proved that the Bmnauer-Emmett-Teller model fit more closely and produced an isotherm constant （b） less than one, indicating favorable adsorption. Regeneration studies verified that the benzene adsorbed by the NM could be easily desorbed by temperature, and thereby, NM can be employed repeatedly in water and wastewater management.     

Cation exchange resin supported nanoscale zero-valent iron for removal of phosphorus in rainwater runoff

Self-made cation exchange resin supported nanoscale zero-valent iron （R-nZVI） was used to remove phosphorus in rainwater runoff. 80% of phosphorus in rainwater runoff from grassland was removed with an initial concentration of 0.72 mg. L-1 phosphorus when the dosage of R-nZVl is 8 g per liter rainwater, while only 26% of phosphorus was removed when using cation exchange resin without supported nanoscale zero-valent iron under the same condition. The adsorption capacity of R-nZVI increased up to 185 times of that of the cation exchange resin at a saturated equilibrium phosphorous concentration of 0.42 mg. L-1. Various techniques were implemented to characterize the R-nZVI and explore the mechanism of its removal of phosphate. Scanning electron microscopy （SEM） indicated that new crystal had been formed on the surface of R-nZVI. The result from inductive coupled plasma （ICP） indicated that 2.1% of nZVI was loaded on the support material. The specific surface area was increased after the load of nanoscale zero-valent iron （nZVI）, according to the measurement of BET-N2 method. The result of specific surface area analysis also proved that phosphorus was removed mainly through chemical adsorption process. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） analysis showed that the new product obtained from chemical reaction between phosphate and iron was ferrous phosphate.     

Sludge fermentation liquid addition attained advanced nitrogen removal in low C/N ratio municipal wastewater through short-cut nitrification-denitrification and partial anammox

• Sludge fermentation liquid addition resulted in a high NAR of 97.4%. • Extra NH₄⁺-N from SFL was removed by anammox in anoxic phase. • Nitrogen removal efficiency of 92.51% was achieved in municipal wastewater. • The novel system could efficiently treat low COD/N municipal wastewater. Biological nitrogen removal of wastewater with low COD/N ratio could be enhanced by the addition of wasted sludge fermentation liquid (SFL), but the performance is usually limited by the introducing ammonium. In this study, the process of using SFL was successfully improved by involving anammox process. Real municipal wastewater with a low C/N ratio of 2.8–3.4 was treated in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR). The SBR was operated under anaerobic-aerobic-anoxic (AOA) mode and excess SFL was added into the anoxic phase. Stable short-cut nitrification was achieved after 46d and then anammox sludge was inoculated. In the stable period, effluent total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) was less than 4.3 mg/L with removal efficiency of 92.3%. Further analysis suggests that anammox bacteria, mainly affiliated with Candidatus_Kuenenia, successfully reduced the external ammonia from the SFL and contributed approximately 28%–43% to TIN removal. Overall, this study suggests anammox could be combined with SFL addition, resulting in a stable enhanced nitrogen biological removal.     

人工湿地脱氮途径及其影响因素分析

简述了人工湿地脱氮模型。各种形态的氮在人工湿地系统中可以通过氨的挥发、植物吸收、介质沉淀吸附以及微生物硝化/反硝化作用等过程被去除。讨论了各脱氮途径对人工湿地脱氮的贡献,在大多数人工湿地的pH条件下,湿地地面氨挥发可以忽略,湿地植物叶片氨挥发量尚不清楚。湿地介质的直接吸附是短期的。植物在湿地脱氮过程中起了重要作用,但一般认为植物直接吸收和存储只占湿地脱氮的一小部分,一般低于30%。微生物的硝化/反硝化作用,是人工湿地脱氮的最主要的形式。讨论了影响人工湿地硝化作用的主要因素:溶解氧,pH和温度。大多数人工湿地的pH适合硝化作用,溶解氧和温度对湿地硝化作用的影响最大。温度不仅影响微生物的硝化作用,而且可以间接地影响植物的生长从而影响人工湿地的脱氮性能。     

Micro-analysis of nitrogen transport and conversion inside activated sludge flocs using microelectrodes

To investigate the nitrogen transport and conversion inside activated sludge flocs, micro-profiles of O₂, NH₄⁺, NO₂^–, NO₃^–, and pH were measured under different operating conditions. The flocs were obtained from a laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactor. Nitrification, as observed from interfacial ammonium and nitrate fluxes, was higher at pH 8.5, than at pH 6.5 and 7.5. At pH 8.5, heterotrophic bacteria used less oxygen than nitrifying bacteria, whereas at lower pH heterotrophic activity dominated. When the ratio of C to N was decreased from 20 to 10, the ammonium uptake increased. When dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in the bulk liquid was decreased from 4 to 2 mg·L^-1, nitrification decreased, and only 25% of the DO influx into the flocs was used for nitrification. This study indicated that nitrifying bacteria became more competitive at a higher DO concentration, a higher pH value (approximately 8.5) and a lower C/N.     

Microprofiles of activated sludge aggregates using microelectrodes in completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite (CANON) reactor

Microsensor measurements and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis were combined to investigate the microbial populations and activities in a laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) for completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite (CANON). Fed with synthetic wastewater rich in ammonia, the SBR removed 82.5±5.4% of influent nitrogen and a maximum nitrogen-removal rate of 0.52 kgN·m⁻³·d⁻¹ was achieved. The FISH analysis revealed that aerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (AerAOB) Nitrosomonas and anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (AnAOB) dominated the community. To quantify the microbial activities inside the sludge aggregates, microprofiles were measured using pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), NH4+, NO2− and NO3− microelectrodes. In the outer layer of sludge aggregates (0–700 μm), nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) showed high activity with 4.1 μmol·cm⁻³·h⁻¹ of maximum nitrate production rate under the condition of DO concentration higher than 3.3 mg·L⁻¹. Maximum AerAOB activity was detected in the middle layer (depths around 1700 μm) where DO concentration was 1.1 mg·L⁻¹. In the inner layer (2200–3500 μm), where DO concentration was below 0.9 mg·L⁻¹, AnAOB activity was detected. We thus showed that information obtained from microscopic views can be helpful in optimizing the SBR performance.     

Nitrogen removal performance of municipal reverse osmosis concentrate with low C/N ratio by membrane-aerated biofilm reactor

A membrane-aerated biofilm reactor was employed to investigate the nitrogen removal of one typical municipal reverse osmosis(RO) concentrate with a high total nitrogen (TN) concentration and a low C/ N ratio. The effects of operational conditions, including the aeration pressure, the hydraulic retention time and the C/N ratio, on the systematic performance were evaluated. The nitrogen removal mechanism was evaluated by monitoring the effluent concentrations of nitrogen contents. Furthermore, the microbial tolerance with elevated salinity was identified. The results indicated that the optimal TN removal efficiency of 79.2% was achieved of the aeration pressure of 0.02 MPa, hydraulic retention time of 24 h, and the C/N ratio of 5.8, respectively. It is essential to supplement the carbon source for the targeted RO concentrate to promote the denitrification process. The inhibitory effect of salinity on denitrifying bacteria and nitrite oxidizing bacteria was significant, revealing the limited TN removal capacity of the conditions in this work. The TN removal efficiency remained more than 70% with the addition of salt (NaCl) amount below 20 g/L. This work preliminarily demonstrated the MABR feasibility for the nitrogen removal of municipal RO concentrate with low C/N ratio and provided technical guidance for further scale-up application.

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Effects of La,Ce on nitrogen removal in sequencing batch reactor

Batch experiments were conducted to study the short-term biological effects of rare earth ions (La³⁺, Ce³⁺) and their mixture on the nitrogen removal in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR). The data showed that higher NH⁺₄―N removal rate, total inorganic nitrogen removal efficiency, and denitrification efficiency were achieved at lower concentrations of rare earth elements (REEs) (<1mg/L). In the first hour of the aeration stage of SBR, the presence of REEs increased the total inorganic nitrogen removal efficiency and NH⁺₄―N removal efficiency by 15.7% and 10%―15%, respectively. When the concentrations of REEs were higher than 1mg/L, the total inorganic nitrogen removal efficiency decreased, and nitrate was found to accumulate in the effluent. When the concentrations of REEs was up to 50.0mg/L, the total inorganic nitrogen removal efficiency was less than 30% of the control efficiency with a high level of nitrate. Lower concentrations of REEs were found to accelerate the nitrogen conversion and removal in SBR.     

The performance of nitrate-reducing Fe(II) oxidation processes under variable initial Fe/N ratios: The fate of nitrogen and iron species

•Bacterially-mediated coupled N and Fe processes examined in incubation experiments. •NO₃⁻ reduction was considerably inhibited as initial Fe/N ratio increased. •The maximum production of N₂ occurred at an initial Fe/N molar ratio of 6. •Fe minerals produced at Fe/N ratios of 1–2 were mainly easily reducible oxides. The Fe/N ratio is an important control on nitrate-reducing Fe(II) oxidation processes that occur both in the aquatic environment and in wastewater treatment systems. The response of nitrate reduction, Fe oxidation, and mineral production to different initial Fe/N molar ratios in the presence of Paracoccus denitrificans was investigated in 132 h incubation experiments. A decrease in the nitrate reduction rate at 12 h occurred as the Fe/N ratio increased. Accumulated nitrite concentration at Fe/N ratios of 2–10 peaked at 12–84 h, and then decreased continuously to less than 0.1 mmol/L at the end of incubation. N₂O emission was promoted by high Fe/N ratios. Maximum production of N₂ occurred at a Fe/N ratio of 6, in parallel with the highest mole proportion of N₂ resulting from the reduction of nitrate (81.2%). XRD analysis and sequential extraction demonstrated that the main Fe minerals obtained from Fe(II) oxidation were easily reducible oxides such as ferrihydrite (at Fe/N ratios of 1–2), and easily reducible oxides and reducible oxides (at Fe/N ratios of 3–10). The results suggest that Fe/N ratio potentially plays a critical role in regulating N₂, N₂O emissions and Fe mineral formation in nitrate-reducing Fe(II) oxidation processes.     

沣河水系脱氮微生物群落结构研究

河流水体氮素的超负荷不仅破坏了水体生态环境,也严重威胁着人类的生存和发展.水体中有机氮、无机氮（氨氮、亚硝氮、硝氮）和分子氮之间的转化（氮循环）有赖于水体中大量的氮循环微生物（固氮细菌、硝化细菌和反硝化细菌）,然而这些氮循环微生物的生长繁殖也受到包括氮素的形态和浓度在内的多种环境因子的影响,这些因素也通过影响氮循环微生物的生长繁殖进而使得水体中氮素的转化速率发生变化,对水体氮污染的防治有不可忽视的作用.本研究通过在沣河设置不同的研究断面,采集水体样品,进行水质分析,并通过现代分子生物学技术（PCR-DGGE）方法对研究断面水体中氮循环微生物（固氮细菌、硝化细菌和反硝化细菌）的群落结构进行分析.再通过统计学软件对所得分子生物学信息与水质环境因子的相关性进行统计学分析,发现沣河水体中氮循环微生物群落结构受到多种环境因子共同影响,且在枯水期和丰水期表现出不同的特征.在丰水期沣河水体中,硝化细菌群落在中游表现出较高的多样性和丰富性,这与沣河中上游农业COD（化学需氧量）、BOD（生化需氧量）氨氮及有机氮污染物排放量较大,沣河水体DO（溶解氧）高有关.水体中的氨氮、亚硝氮、温度的增加是促进水体中硝化细菌的均匀性和丰富度的增高的主要因子,而pH 值的升高,使得水体中硝化细菌的均匀性和丰富度降低.反硝化微生物在中游和下游的多样性和丰富度较高,与有机物及硝酸盐含量相关.水体中的BOD、COD、TP（总磷）、硝氮的增加是促进水体中反硝化细菌的均匀性和丰富度的增高主要相关因子,而DO 的增多则会对部分反硝化细菌产生不利影响,使得水体中反硝化细菌的均匀性和丰富度降低.本研究结果为沣河以及其他河流的污染控制以及基于微生物的生态修复提供了科?     

Advanced nitrogen removal by pulsed sequencing batch reactors (SBR) with real-time control

The feasibility of pH and oxidation reduction potential (ORP) as on-line control parameters to advance nitrogen removal in pulsed sequencing batch reactors (SBR) was evaluated. The pulsed SBR, a novel operational mode of SBR, was utilized to treat real municipal wastewater accompanied with adding ethanol as external carbon source. It was observed that the bending-point (apex and knee) of pH and ORP profiles can be used to control denitrification process at a low influent C/N ratio while dpH/dt can be used to control the nitrification and denitrification process at a high influent C/N ratio. The experimental results demonstrated that the effluent total nitrogen can be reduced to lower than 2 mg/L, and the average total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency was higher than 98% by using real-time controll strategy.     

Characterization of CANON reactor performance and microbial community shifts with elevated COD/N ratios under a continuous aeration mode

COD/N at low ratios (0–0.82) improved N removals of CANON. CANON performance decreased after COD/N up to 0.82. The relative abundance of AOB decreased continuously with increasing COD/N. AOB outcompeted at a high COD load led to CANON failure. The relative abundance of AnAOB decreased and increased with increasing COD/N. The effects of increasing COD/N on nitrogen removal performance and microbial structure were investigated in a SBR adopting a completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite process with a continuous aeration mode (DO at approximately 0.15–0.2 mg/L). As the COD/N increased from 0.1 to≤0.59, the nitrogen removal efficiency (NRE) increased from 88.7% to 95.5%; while at COD/N ratios of 0.59–0.82, the NRE remained at 90.7%–95.5%. As the COD/N increased from 0.82 to 1.07, the NRE decreased continuously until reaching 60.1%. Nitrosomonas sp. (AOB) and Candidatus Jettenia (anammox bacteria) were the main functional genera in the SBR. As the COD/N increased from 0.10 to 1.07, the relative abundance of Nitrosomonas decreased from 13.4% to 2.0%, while that of Candidatus Jettenia decreased from 35% to 9.9% with COD/N<0.82 then increased to 45.4% at a COD/N of 1.07. Aerobic heterotrophic bacteria outcompeted AOB at high COD loadings (650 mg/L) because of oxygen competition, which ultimately led to deteriorated nitrogen removal performance.