The acid pre-washing of zero valent iron for improving removal efficiency would deduce the secondary pollution in groundwater, and more fine particles of zero valent iron would reduce the permeability of aquifers. In order to better understand the approaches of nitrate removal, a series of laboratory experiments was conducted in this study. Batch tests showed that washed zero valent iron powder and activated carbon are more efficient for removing nitrate than cemarite and zeolite, similar with the acid pre-washing zero valent iron. X-ray diffraction phase analysis showed that a kind of oxide Fe₃O₄ generated on the surface of the washed iron powder particles, which is mixed with Fe₂O₃ and FeO, is relatively loose and can improve the efficiency of nitrate removal. A continuous flow column system test showed that the coarse sand-zero valent iron mix (R1), the coarse sand-zero valent iron-activated carbon mix (R4), and the coarse sand-zero valent iron-sawdust mix (R5) are more effective for reducing nitrate than the coarse sand-activated carbon mix (R2) and the coarse sand-sawdust mix (R3). Components such as NO₂-N and NH₄⁺-N would have environmental concerns as well. Further chemical analysis on the fluids from nitrate removal treatment indicates that R1 and R4 are the most effective and also environmentally friendly media for nitrate removal. This study showed that R1 and R4 media could be developed into a viable technology for the removal of nitrate in high concentration of polluted groundwater.