The effect of the air/oxygen/helium atmospheric plasma treatment on desizing polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) on cotton fabric was discussed as compared with the conventional H2O2 desizing. The possible change mechanism of PVA during atmospheric plasma exposure was induced through a combination of weight loss of PVA after plasma, PVA dissolving rate in water at room temperature, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J AppI Polym Sci 99: 2233-2237, 2006