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The treatability of 2,4-dwichlorophenol (DCP) was studied in an anaerobic/aerobic sequential reactor system. Laboratory scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor/completely stirred tank reactors (CSTR) were operated at constant 2,4-DCP concentrations, and increasing chemical oxygen demand (COD) loading rates. The effect of shock organic loading rates on 2,4-DCP, COD removal efficiencies and methane gas production were investigated in the UASB reactor. When the organic loading rate was increased from 3.6 g l(-1) d(-1) to 30.16 g l(-1) d(-1), the COD and 2,4-DCP removal efficiencies decreased from 80 to 25% and from 99 to 60% in the UASB reactor. The optimum organic loading rates for maximum 2,4-DCP (E=99-100%) and COD (E=65-85%) removal efficiencies were 25-30 and 8-20 g-COD l(-1) d(-1), respectively. The percentage of methane of the total gas varied between 70 and 80 while the organic loadings were 18 g-COD l(-1) d(-1) and 20.36 g-COD l(-1) d(-1), respectively. During 80 days of operation, 2,4-DCP concentration was found to be below 0.5 and 0.1 mg l(-1) in aerobic reactor effluent resulting in 78 and 100% removal efficiencies. When the hydraulic retention time (HRT) was 18.72 h, the 2,4-DCP removal efficiency was 97% in the aerobic reactor. The optimum COD removal efficiency was 78.83% in anaerobic reactor effluent at an influent COD loading rate of 7.238 g-COD l(-1) d(-1) while 83.6% maximum COD removal efficiency was obtained in the aerobic reactor, resulting in a total COD removal efficiency of 96.83% in the whole system. The 2,4-DCP removal efficiency was 99% in the sequential anaerobic (UASB)/aerobic (CSTR) reactor system at COD loading rates varying between 11.46 and 30.16 g-COD l(-1) d(-1).