The influences of contact time and ratio of food to microorganism (F/M) on uptake of wastewater organic matter in a short contact process were investigated using three activated sludge batch reactors fed with synthetic wastewater, sewage and livestock wastewater. About 64% of influent soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) in the synthetic wastewater and 61% of SCOD in the sewage and 43% of SCOD in the diluted livestock wastewater were adsorbed into the activated sludge within 30 min. The specific mass of organic matter uptaken in the synthetic wastewater was 55 mg SCOD/g mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS). In the same manner, 20 and 14 mg SCOD/g MLSS were calculated as the values in the sewage and livestock wastewater, respectively.