Bamboo industry wastewater (BIWW) poses severe environmental problems because of its high organic matter content. In this study, anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) was applied for BIWW treatment. During the start-up stage, the system presented an effective degradation with a final COD removal of 91%. Compared to the intermittent mode, a higher membrane rejection (45% COD, 60% NH3-N) was obtained when the system was operated continuously. N-2 flushing was applied for membrane cleaning, and the cleaning efficiency was significantly influenced by the hydraulic retention time (HRT). While operated under HRT 5 >= d, membrane fouling could be effectively controlled. Scanning electron microscopyenergy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) analysis indicated the membrane top area suffered the most serious fouling. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses revealed most organic matter in BIWW was eliminated by AnMBR. However, benzene and fluoro derivatives were detected in the permeate as the by-products. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.