BACKGROUND: Membrane fouling is still a big problem to be solved. In order to reduce membrane fouling and improve the efficiency of phenol degradation, a Pd/carbon conductive membrane, used as both a filter membrane and a cathode, was prepared by electrodeposition of Pd on a carbon membrane and then employed to develop an electro-microbial membrane system (EMMS). RESULTS: The degradation rate of phenol was higher than that in a microbial membrane system (MMS) and in an electrocatalytic membrane system(EMS). The phenol degradation followed zero-order kinetics in the three systems. The degradation efficiencies of phenol and COD were 99.6% and 95.4%, respectively, at 10 h in the EMMS. The mean membrane flux in the EMMS was 2.64 times that in the MMS and 1.25 times that in the EMS. The reasons for the excellent anti-fouling of Pd/carbon membrane were: (1) the membrane had repulsion potential for the pollutant because it carried negative charges; (2) H-2 bubbles generated on the membrane surface possibly induced gas and liquid microflows to detach and even blow-out the foulants; and (3) the membrane was scoured by shear stress resulting from aeration. CONCLUSIONS: A carbon/Pd conductive membrane as cathode has great potential for membrane fouling mitigation in EMMS. (C) 2016 Society of Chemical Industry