The transfer properties of chitosan coated polyethylene (PE) films were studied. The barrier properties of non coated PE were not affected by relative humidity changes. The presence of the hydrophilic chitosan layer acted as a water reservoir on the polyethylene film surface which significantly promoted its sensitivity to the water vapour. The water vapour permeability increased 1.85 times at a higher RH. Coated PE films showed more than two-order decrease in the oxygen permeability (P-O2) and three-order-decrease in the carbon dioxide permeability (P-CO2). When the chitosan coated PE surface was exposed to the water vapour, the P-O2 and the P-CO2 were significantly increased. However, the permeability of the chitosan self standing film depended on the solvent type, glycerol, permeate nature and the environmental humidity. The addition of ethanol during the film processing decreased P-O2, P-CO2 and P-air while glycerol had the opposite effect. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.