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Taking advantage of the active oxidants generated in the process of Mn(II)-catalyzed sulfite oxidation by oxygen, this study sought to enhance Mn(II) removal from water by activating oxygen with sulfite. The results revealed that Mn(II) can be effectively oxidized by oxygen to MnO₂ with the addition of sulfite under environmentally relevant conditions, and the performance of this process is dependent on the dosage of sulfite and the initial pH. Mn K-edge XANES analysis indicates that Mn(II) removal is primarily due to the transformation of Mn(II) to MnO₂ and, secondarily, to the adsorption of Mn(II) on generated MnO₂. Co-existing NaCl and CaCl₂ negatively affect Mn(II) removal, while the presence of Fe(II) considerably enhances Mn(II) removal by improving both Mn(II) oxidation and Mn(II) adsorption on the generated solids. Consequently, Mn(II) removal is as high as 98% in the presence of 1.0 mg/L of Fe(II) and both …