A surface dielectric barrier discharge reactor is used to investigate the destruction of naphthalene, as an example of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compound, in an air stream. The characteristics of the reactor including the current–voltage and the power consumed are examined to evaluate its effectiveness in destroying naphthalene. The effects of different operational parameters including applied voltage, frequency, flow rate and initial concentration of naphthalene on the destruction process are studied. The results indicated that the destruction efficiency decreases with increasing flow rate and increases with an increase in the applied voltage and frequency. Although the destruction efficiency is independent of the initial concentration, the energy efficiency is increased with increasing initial concentration. The study shows that naphthalene is totally destroyed in the reactor, but not completely transformed to CO and CO2. Ozone generated as a byproduct in the reactor did not play a role in the destruction process.