Abstract <p>This study investigates the removal performance of toluene using nanosecond pulsed discharge plasma assisted by magnetic field. The influence of the magnetic field on discharge current is analyzed, and toluene removal efficiency is investigated under various conditions, including magnet distances, the angle between magnet arrangement and airflow direction, and pulsed discharge frequency. The enhancement of the system's discharge current with the addition of magnetic fields is observed compared to without magnetic field. When the discharge voltage is 14&#xa0;kV, the discharge current is increased by 7.12% with the presence of the magnetic field. With a constant discharge voltage, the toluene removal efficiency decreases as the distance between the magnets increases. Compared to without magnetic field, the toluene removal efficiency increased by up to 25.6 percentage points when the distance between magnets is 81&#xa0;mm. Reducing the distance between magnets enhances the magnetic field strength, thereby more effectively improving toluene removal efficiency. Under consistent discharge voltage conditions, the efficiency of toluene removal diminished progressively with an increasing the angle between the magnetic field and the air flow. Under the condition of a constant discharge voltage of 6&#xa0;kV, as the angle between the magnetic field and the air flow incrementally increased from 0° to 5.74°, the toluene removal efficiency experienced a reduction of 11.0 percentage points. The high pulsed discharge frequency assisted by the magnetic field is more favorable for the removal of toluene by non-thermal plasma (NTP). The impact of the magnetic field on the removal efficiency of toluene at a high pulsed discharge frequency is significantly greater than that at a low pulsed discharge frequency. Under the circumstance of only modifying the pulsed discharge frequency, the removal efficiency of toluene rises by 7.7 percentage points and 16.5 percentage points respectively when the pulsed discharge frequency is 1&#xa0;kHz and 3&#xa0;kHz. The main degradation products of toluene were identified via GC–MS analysis of the post-reaction exhaust. The detected compounds included benzoic acid, diethylene glycol anhydride, and phenyl maleic anhydride, among others. Based on the product distribution, potential reaction pathways were also proposed.</p> Highlights <p>1. Permanent magnets can increase discharge current without extra input energy.</p> <p>2. Parallel magnetic field promotes toluene removal more than vertical magnetic field.</p> <p>3. The promoting effect of magnetic field at high pulsed discharge frequency is greater than that at low pulsed discharge frequency.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>