Biodegradation behavior and kinetics of ethylthionocarbamate under nitrate, sulfate and ferric reducing conditions by mixed cultures enriched from the anaerobic digester sludge was investigated. The results showed that ethylthionocarbamate could be degraded independently by the mixed cultures coupled to nitrate, sulfate, and ferric reduction, and meanwhile, nitrite, sulfide, and ferrous were accumulated as a result of nitrate, sulfate and ferric reduction, respectively. Ferric was a more favorable terminal electron acceptor compared to nitrate and sulfate. The order of the electron acceptors with decreasing biodegradation rates of the ethylthionocarbamate was: ferric > nitrate > sulfate, and the corresponding maximum biodegradation rate was 7.240, 6.267, and 4.602 mg/(L.d), respectively. The anaerobic biodegradation of ethylthionocarbamate under various electron acceptor conditions can be accurately described by first order exponential decay kinetics. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.