Polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)is widely used in textile,printing and dyeing and chemical fiber industry due to its good adhesion,strong toughness and wear resistance.It has become one of the largest demanded polymer materials in the world.This article mainly discusses the sampling environment and selection methods of PVA-degrading bacteria,the existing forms and degradation mechanism,and existing problems and limiting factors of applications.Future application and research directions are also prospected.