Degradation of ferrous(II) cyanide complex (ferrocyanide) ions by free cells of P. fluorescens in the presence of glucose and dissolved oxygen was investigated as a function of initial pH, initial ferrocyanide and glucose concentrations and aeration rate in a batch fermenter. The microorganism used the ferrocyanide ions as the sole source of nitrogen. The ferrocyanide biodegradation rate was 30.7 mg g(-1) h(-1) under the conditions of initial pH: 5, stirring rate: 150 rpm, aeration rate: 0.15 vvm, initial ferrous(II) cyanide complex ion and glucose concentrations: 100 mg l(-1) and 0.465 g l(-1), respectively. The culture utilized glucose as the main substrate following the non-competitive toxic component inhibition model in the presence of 100 mg l(-1) initial ferrous(II) cyanide complex ion concentration. The inhibition of ferrous(II) cyanide complex ions as a secondary substrate began at very low concentrations. A mathematical model, based on non-competitive substrate inhibition was used to describe the inhibitory effect of ferrous(II) cyanide complex ions on the growth of microorganism and the best fitted model parameters were determined by non-linear regression techniques.