Abstract
The nitrogen discharge from saline wastewater will cause significant pollution to the environment. As a high-efficiency and low-cost treatment method, biological treatment has a promising application prospect in the removal of nitrogen from high-salt wastewater. However, the inhibitory effect of high salt on microorganisms increases the difficulty of its treatment. This review discusses the influence of salinity on the nitrogen removal process, considering both traditional and novel biological techniques. Common methods to enhance the effectiveness of biological nitrogen removal processes and their mechanisms of action in engineering practice and research, including sludge acclimation and inoculation of halophilic bacteria, are also introduced. An outlook on the future development of biological nitrogen removal processes for high-salt wastewater is provided to achieve environmentally friendly discharge of high-salt wastewater.
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Shiqi Chen had the idea for the article, performed the literature search and data analysis, and wrote the manuscript. Cheng Liu frames the article and ultimately reviews it. Guoxun Cao revised and touched up the article. Ke Li was involved in checking and optimizing the details of the article. Junliang Huang participated in conceptualizing the article and helped draft the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Chen, S., Liu, C., Cao, G. et al. Effect of salinity on biological nitrogen removal from wastewater and its mechanism. Environ Sci Pollut Res 31, 24713–24723 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-32417-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-32417-8