Oxidative decomposition of chlorobenzene diluted in air was carried out in a dielectric barrier discharge reactor. In order to understand the role of the ground electrode, various reactor configurations were tested. Among silver paste, copper wire and aluminum foil tested as the outer electrodes, typical results indicated the best performance of silver paste, probably due to uniform distribution of microdischarges. Likewise, low flow rates gave better conversion and selectivity to gaseous products. Copyright © 2012 De Gruyter. All rights reserved.