The removal of N2O by a pulsed corona reactor (PCR) was investigated. Gas mixtures containing N2O were allowed to flow in the reactor at various levels of energy input, and for different background gases, flow rates, and initial pollutant concentrations. The reactor effluent gas stream was analyzed for N2O, NO, NO2, by means of an FTIR spectrometer. It was found that destruction of N2O was facilitated with argon as the background gas; the conversion dropped and power requirements increased when nitrogen was used as the background gas. Reaction mechanisms are proposed for the destruction of N2O in dry argon and nitrogen. Application of the pseudo-steady state hypothesis permits development of expressions for the overall reaction rate in these systems. These reaction rates are integrated into a simple reactor model for the pulsed corona discharge reactor. The reactor model brings forth the coupling between reaction rates, electrical discharge parameters, and fluid flow within the reactor. Comparison with experiment is encouraging, though the needs for additional research are clearly identified. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.