This study investigated the inhibition effect of iron, cadmium and sulfide on the substrate utilization rate of sulfate reducing granular sludge. A series of batch experiments in a UASB reactor were conducted with different concentrations of iron (Fe2+, 4.0-8.5 mM), cadmium (Cd2+, 0.53-3.0 mM) and sulfide (4.2-10.6mM), the reactor was fed with ethanol at 1 g chemical oxygen demand (COD)/L and sulfate to yield a COD/SO42- (g/g) ratio of 0.5. The addition of iron, up to a concentration of 8.1 mM, had a positive effect on the substrate utilization rate which increased 40% compared to the rate obtained without metal addition (0.25 g COD/g VSS-d). Nonetheless. iron concentration of 8.5 mM inhibited the specific substrate utilization rate by 57% compared to the substrate utilization rate obtained in the batch amended with 4.0 mM Fe2+ (0.44g COD/g VSS-d). Cadmium had a negative effect on the specific substrate utilization rate at the concentrations tested; at 3.0 mM Cd2+ the substrate utilization rate was inhibited by 44% compared with the substrate utilization rate without metal addition. Cadmium precipitation with sulfide did not decrease the inhibition of cadmium on sulfate reduction. These results could have important practical implications mainly when considering the application of the sulfate reducing process to treat effluents with high concentrations of sulfate and dissolved metals such as iron and cadmium. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.