Simultaneous sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) removal from flue gas can be achieved with high efficiency by microwave with potassium permanganate (KMnO4) over zeolite. The experimental results showed that the microwave reactor could be used to oxidation Of SO2 to sulfate with the best desulfurization efficiency of 96.8% and oxidize NOx to nitrates with the best NOx removal efficiency of 98.4%. Microwave accentuates catalytic oxidation treatment, and microwave addition can increase the SO2 and NOx removal efficiency by 7.2% and 12.2% separately. The addition of zeolite to microwave potassium permanganate increases from 16.5% to 43.5% the microwave removal efficiency for SO2, and the NOx removal efficiency from 85.6% to 98.2%. The additional use of potassium permanganate to the microwave zeolite leads to the enhancement Of SO2 removal efficiency up from 53.9% to 95%, and denitrification efficiency up from 85.6% to 98.2%. The optimal microwave power and empty bed residence time (EBRT) on simultaneous desulfurization and denitrification are 259 W and 0.357 s, respectively. SO2 and NOx were rapidly oxidized in microwave induced catalytic oxidation reaction using potassium permanganate with zeolite being the catalyst and microwave absorbent. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.