Catalytic effects of iron salts on phenol degradation induced by glow discharge plasma (GDP) were examined. It was found that ferric ions showed much better catalytic effect than that of ferrous ions. The reason was that GDP could produce hydroxyl radicals and hydrogen peroxide simultaneously; the hydroxyl radicals reacted with phenol to produce dihydroxycyclohexadienyl radicals which reduced the ferric ions to ferrous ions and the newly formed ferrous ions catalyzed the hydrogen peroxide to produce more hydroxyl radicals. Without iron salts, TOC of the solution gradually decreased with treatment time while COD of the solution increased due to the accumulation of the hydrogen peroxide. Without iron salts, catechol, hydroquinone, and hydroxylhydroquinone were major by-products. However, large amounts of catechol, hydroquinone and benzoquinone yielded in the presence of iron salts. The present study presents some new information related to Fenton's reaction. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.