ZnS phosphor powders have been subjected to electron bombardment (2 keV, 2 mA/cm(2)) at a residual gas pressure of 1.2x10(-8) Torr and oxygen pressures of 10(-6) Torr. Auger electron spectroscopy and cathodoluminescence (CL), both excited by the same electron beam were used to monitor changes in surface state and luminous efficiency during electron bombardment. A direct correlation between the surface reactions and the degradation of CL brightness was observed. Both C and S were depleted from the surface during electron bombardment. The postulated mechanism for the electron stimulated reactions on the phosphor surface is electron beam dissociation of molecular species to atomic species which subsequently react with C to form volatile compounds (COx, CH4, etc.) and with ZnS to form a nonluminescence layer of either ZnO or ZnSO4. The growth in thickness of the nonluminescence surface layer is directly responsible for the degradation in CL brightness.