This research conducted both lab-scale and pilot-scale tests by selecting toluene as the typical volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and by using the promising non-thermal plasma oxidation technology - dielectric barrier discharge (DBD). To develop baseline engineering data to demonstrate the feasibility of application of self-made DBD reactors, the peak voltage, gas flow speed, initial toluene concentration, discharge frequency and duty ratio were studied. The results showed that toluene removal efficiency improves with increase of electrical voltage, frequency and duty ratio, and declines with increase of polar distance, gas flow speed and toluene initial concentration. When the voltage increases, the energy efficiency rises first and then drops. The energy efficiency reaches the climax when the energy density reaches 150.8J/L and 101.7J/L in the lab-scale experiment and pilot-scale experiment respectively. (C) 2014 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.