Time-resolved PIV measurements were performed in a dilute particle-laden flow tracking near-neutrally buoyant polystyrene beads and the velocity field of a near wall turbulent boundary layer. Data were taken in a vertical light sheet aligned in the streamwise direction at the center of a horizontal, closed loop, transparent square water channel facility. In addition, low speed measurements were performed characterizing the effects of the dispersed phase on mean and turbulence flow quantities. Reynolds shear stress slightly differed from clear water conditions whereas fluid mean and rms values were not affected. A case study for several beads revealed a clear relation between their movement and near-wall coherent structures. Several structures having 2D vorticity signatures of near-wall hairpin vortices and hairpin packets, directly affected bead movement. A statistical analysis showed that the mean streamwise velocity of ascending beads lagged behind the mean fluid velocity and bead rms values were higher than fluid ones. Particle Reynolds numbers based on the magnitude of the instantaneous relative velocity vector peaked near the wall; values not exceeding 100, too low for vortex shedding to occur. Quadrant analysis showed a clear preference for ascending beads to reside in ejections while for descending beads the preference for sweeps was less. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.