Highly efficient hydrogen production can be produced via catalytic steam reforming of bio-oil. On the basis of fixed-bed reactor system, a bio-oil model compound (m-cresol) was steam reformed on commercial Ni-Co/MgO catalyst. Under the optimal reaction conditions of 850 circle C and steam to carbon ratio 5:1, as high as 79.8% of hydrogen yield and 96.8% of carbon conversion can be obtained during 5 h time-on-stream. The results indicated that carbon elimination appears in temperature range of 400-600 circle C, and the carbon can be removed completely through its combustion in the air flow at 600 circle C. By using the recycling and secondary steam reforming of liquid toxics, the organic pollutants can be eliminated perfectly, and additional hydrogen production was recovered at 850 circle C. The compositions of H-2, CO, CH4 and CO2 in recovered gas production were 71.5%, 3.7%, 0.2% and 25.0%, respectively. High hydrogen composition of 71.5% was obtained due to the water gas shift reactions to form hydrogen. (C) 2015 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.