This work investigated the electrochemical treatment of acrylic fiber manufacturing wastewater (AFMW) with boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrode. A factorial design methodology was employed to evaluate the statistically important operating variables, among treatment time (1-2h), flow rate (400-600 mL/min), current intensity (0.50-1.00 A) and initial COD load (362-723 mg/L) on the treatment efficiency, the latter was assessed in terms of COD and ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N) removal. The experimental results demonstrated the suitability of the BDD technology for COD removal, as well as the unique behavior in removing NH3-N. Further investigation also revealed the superiority of BDD anode cell over DSA anode cell either in COD removal rate or in energy consumption. These results showed great potential of the BDD technology in engineering application as an effective option for treating AFMW. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.