High-voltage（HV） discharges induce high-intensity electrical field that generates large quantities of electrons and radicals. Hence they are employed to control and remove pollutants. In this paper

we introduce several environmental applications of high-voltage discharge

such as removal of SO2

NOx

particles

VOCs and pollutants in water

ozone generation

sterilization and collection of micro-organism. For desulfuration and denitration using streamer corona discharges

heterogeneous oxidation of S（IV） is quicker than homogeneous oxidation

and increasing AC/DC

pulse power and energy density is the key for improving the removal efficiency. Electrostatic precipitator（ESP） has been developed for a long time

yet its improvement is impeded due to the inadequate development of device design and power technology

and reentrainment. Using ESP index instead of Deutsch Equation to guide ESP sizing and power optimization is conducive to improve ESP efficiency. When using HV discharge to produce ozone

the emphasis is on short-pulse power supply

additives and cooling. HV discharge is also employed to treat VOCs and waste water in various structures. The former one usually combines discharge with catalysis

while the latter includes discharge under or over liquid surface. However

both ——of them need to be improved in energy efficiency. HV discharge could deactivate micro-organism through radicals

UV or electrical field

yet it could also be used to collect micro-organisms while keeping their high activities. Nevertheless for environmental applications

the non-thermal plasma technology needs further development in pilot demonstration and integrated process.