Pulsed high-voltage discharge as one of the AOTs has generated a lot of interest in its applications to organic contaminants removal. It was demonstrated that some contaminants such as dyes and phenols could be effectively removed by the discharge, which can promote both physical and chemical processes leading to strong UV light, local high temperature, intense shock waves and the formation of chemically active species such as (OH)-O-center dot, H-center dot, O-center dot, O-2(center dot-), HO2 center dot, H2O2, O-3, respectively, etc. The technology was been further developed by the updating of the power supply and the discharge reactor. The formation of active species is one of the crucial factors in the degradation of organic compounds in the pulsed high-voltage discharge system. This paper reviews the literatures on the pulsed power supply, reactor, physical effects, active species formation and mechanism of organic contaminants degradation in the discharge system. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.