Abstract: A mixed culture，which could degrade 1 g/L poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) completely，was obtained from a soil sample from one Textile Factory. The effect of different concentrations of carbon and nitrogen sources was investigated in the mixed system. The results indicated that organic nitrogen sources were more suitable for this mixed culture to degrade PVA than inorganic nitrogen sources. Three strains were isolated from the PVA-degrading microbial population through the dilution method. Among them two belonged to bacteria and one was mould. One of the bacteria and the mould could produce extracellular PVA-degrading enzyme，but none of them could degrade PVA completely alone.