The catalytic destruction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), namely, methanol, acetone, and methylene chloride, was studied over single Pt- or Pd-loaded hydrophobic catalyst and Pt-Pd bimetallic hydrophobic catalyst. A fixed bed reactor operated at atmospheric pressure and in the temperature range of 50-400 degrees C was used. The VOC destruction experiment was conducted for a broad range of concentrations for each single-component VOC feed and for two- and three-component mixtures. The best results were obtained on the Pt-Pd bimetallic hydrophobic catalyst, which exhibited higher destruction activity than either the Pt or the Pd single-metal catalyst in the range of temperature tested. The results suggest a possible alloy effect for the Pt-Pd bimetallic catalyst. The experiment also revealed strong VOC mixture interaction effects. Using the concept of reduction ability, the promoting and inhibiting effects exhibited by the VOC mixture tested can be explained. The data were correlated using a semiempirical Langmuir-Hinshelwood model which enabled the prediction of the destruction rate of each component among the mixtures studied.