The catalytic activity of fresh Pd and Pt catalysts supported on gamma-alumina in the complete oxidation of CH4 traces under lean-burn conditions was studied in the presence or the absence of water or H2S. Steam-aged catalysts were also studied in order to simulate long-term ageing in real lean-burn natural gas fuelled vehicles (NGVs) exhaust conditions. Without water or H2S added to the feed, Pd catalysts exhibit a superior catalytic activity in methane oxidation compared to Pt ones, whatever the catalysts were fresh or aged. The addition of 10 vol.% water vapour to the feed strongly affects the activity of the fresh Pd catalyst, thus being only slightly more efficient than the fresh Pt one. H2S has a strong poisoning effect on the catalytic activity of Pd catalysts, while Pt catalysts are more resistant. The fresh H2S-poisoned Pd/Al2O3 catalyst was studied by TPD in o(2)/He. Poisoning species decompose above 873 K as SO2 and O-2 in relative concentrations consistent with the decomposition of surface sulphate species. However, a treatment in O-2/He at temperatures as high as 923 K does not allow the complete regeneration of the catalytic activity of H2S-poisoned Pd/Al2O3. A mechanism involving the poisoning of PdO by sulphate species is proposed. Different diffusion processes by which these sulphate species can migrate back and forth between PdO and the support, depending on the experimental conditions, are suggested. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.