Optimization of sulfate-reducing ammonium oxidation based on N/S: Nitrogen and sulfur removal performance, microbial...

Sulfate-reducing ammonium oxidation (Sulfammox) offers a novel strategy for simultaneous nitrogen and sulfur removal. However, the microbial-driven metabolic pathways under different N/S and the optimal operational conditions remain unclear. This study operated three anaerobic sequencing batch reactors at N/S of 2.5, 2.0, and 1.5 to investigate the removal performance and microbial ecology. The reactor with an N/S of 1.5 (R3) achieved the highest removal efficiencies of 91.82% for NH₄⁺-N and 47.95% for SO₄^2--S, while the reactor with an N/S of 2.5 (R1) showed efficiencies below 15% for both, indicating that a lower N/S is critical for efficient removal. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the formation of elemental sulfur, indicating active sulfur transformation that alleviated sulfide inhibition and enhanced system stability. Batch tests identified optimal operating conditions: pH 8.0, hydraulic retention time 48 h, and COD 50 mg/L. When COD is greater than 300 mg/L, sulfate reduction dominated and inhibited the sulfammox process. Response surface methodology models (R² > 0.98) predicted the optimal parameters in N/S 1.57, pH 7.66, HRT 46.53 h, and COD of 48.61 mg/L, achieving NH₄⁺-N and SO₄^2--S removal efficiencies of 93.13% and 47.35%. This represents 9.5% enhancement in NH₄⁺-N removal over the pre-optimization phase. Microbial analysis revealed that N/S of 1.5 abundance of Desulfobacterota increased by 1.67%, driving sulfate reduction, while Chloroflexi constituted 26.07% in R3, the anammox bacterium Candidatus-Brocadia was inhibited, exhibiting a relative abundance of less than 0.1%. By elucidating sulfammox interactions, this study offers a practical, low-carbon and synergistic framework for the effective co-treatment of high NH₄⁺-N and SO₄^2--S wastewater.