Abstract Steady state sensitivity analysis revealed that only the measurement of ammonium and nitrite yields information concerning the maximum specific growth rate and the affinity constants of ammonium oxidizers and Anammox organisms in the CANON process. However practically no information concerning the Anammox nitrite inhibition constant could be derived using steady state sensitivity functions. Therefore, dynamic experiments are proposed where nitrite is injected to a continuously operated CANON reactor. Based on experimental design calculations and practical considerations it was concluded that injecting 30 mgN L-1 of nitrite gave the most information concerning the nitrite inhibition constant of the Anammox process. The use of (bio)sensors to measure the nitrite and ammonium concentrations during the dynamic experiments is advised because of the high quality and frequency of such data.