Impacts of crude glycerol on anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Anammox) process in wastewater treatment.

[Display omitted] • Inhibitory effects of CG and its major components on Anammox were assessed. • Methanol is the major compound in CG responsible for the Anammox inhibition. • 153.7 mg CG-COD L-1 or COD/TIN ratio of > 1.3 can cause Anammox inhibition by 20 %. • Increasing the substrate level can promote the Anammox activity inhibited by CG. • Anammox inhibition by CG is through a non-competitive inhibition mechanism. This work investigated the impact of a waste-derived carbon source, crude glycerol (CG), on Anammox. Batch bioassays were conducted to identify inhibitory component(s) in CG, and the relationship between Anammox activity and the concentration of CG, pure glycerol, and methanol were assessed. The results showed that the half-maximal inhibitory concentration of CG and methanol are 434.5 ± 51.8 and 143.0 ± 19.6 mg chemical oxygen demand (COD) L-1, respectively, while pure glycerol at 0–2283 mg COD L-1 had no significant adverse effect on Anammox. The results suggested methanol is the major inhibitor in CG via a non-competitive inhibition mechanism. COD/total inorganic nitrogen ratio of > 1.3 was observed to cause a significant Anammox inhibition (>20 %), especially at low substrate level. These results are valuable for evaluating the feasibility of using CG for nitrogen removal in water resource recovery facilities, promoting sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]