The electrochemical reaction behaviors of phenol on Ti/IrO₂-Ta₂O₅ electrode were investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The efficiency of the electrode degradation of phenol was explored by a combination of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC),total organic carbon (TOC) detector and chemical oxygen demand (COD) digestion device. Results show that the electrochemical reaction of phenol on Ti/IrO₂-Ta₂O₅ electrode mainly occurs in the oxygen evolution reaction zone,whereas a small amount of irreversible direct electrochemical oxidation reaction happens at higher concentration of phenol. The larger oxidation peak current and higher charge efficiency are obtained when the concentration of support electrolyte is 5 g·L^-1 and the initial concentration of phenol is 100 mg·L^-1. Under the suitable operating conditions of initial phenol concentration of 100 mg·L^-1,electrolyte concentration of 5 g·L^-1,reaction time of 120 min and current of 40 mA,the removal rate of phenol,COD,TOC and average current efficiency (ACE) can reach 82%,49%,39% and 24.5%,respectively.