The performance of a three-stage suspended growth continuous system consisting of anaerobic-anoxic-aerobic reactors was evaluated after injection of a pulse phenol shock load in the anaerobic reactor. The synthetic feed contained phenol, cyanide, thiocyanate and ammonia-nitrogen. Anaerobic reactor required 22 days to regain its previous cyanide removal efficiency and the reactor achieved a new steady state in terms of phenol removal. The anoxic reactor achieved its previous phenol and the thiocyanate removal efficiency in seven to nine days. In the aerobic reactor, nitrification was severely inhibited due to the washout of nitrifying bacteria. The aerobic reactor was the most sensitive in terms of phenol shock load in the three-stage system. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.