A system consisting of a two-stage up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor and an anoxic/aerobic (A/O) reactor was used to treat municipal landfill leachate. Denitrification took place in the first stage of the UASB reactor (UASB1). The chemical oxygen demand of the UASB1 effluent was further decreased in the second stage (UASB2). Nitrification was accomplished in the A/O reactor. When diluted with tap water at a ratio of 1: 1, the ammonia nitrogen concentration of the influent leachate was approximately 1200 mg.L-1, whereas that of the system effluent was approximately 8-11 mg.L-1, and the corresponding removal efficiency is about 99.08%. Stable partial nitrification was achieved in the A/O reactor with 88.61%-91.58% of the nitrite accumulation ratio, even at comparatively low temperature (16 degrees C). The results demonstrate that free ammonia (FA) concentrations within a suitable range exhibit a positive effect on partial nitrification. In this experiment when FA was within the 1-30 mg.L-1 range, partial nitrification could be achieved, whereas when FA exceeded 280 mg.L-1, the nitrification process was entirely inhibited. Temperature was not the key factor leading to partial nitrification within the 16-29 degrees C range. The inhibitory influence of free nitrous acid (FNA) on nitrification was also minimal when pH was greater than 8.5. Thus, FA concentration was a major factor in achieving partial nitrification. (C) 2015 The Chemical Industry and Engineering Society of China, and Chemical Industry Press. All rights reserved.