Aerosol particles were collected in different environments in Poland-in Legnica, a middle size town situated close to big copper works and in a rural site in the suburbs of Krakow, the city three times bigger than Legnica. Bulk analysis of particulate matter collected on quartz-fibre filters was performed using spark source mass spectrometry (SSMS). Analysis of airborne particles from urban and rural environments revealed differences in partial concentration of 20 selected elements. In urban aerosol collected in Legnica we found more: Pb, Cr-20 times than in the rural environment, As, Sr-10 times, Co-7 times, Cl-5 times, V, Y-3 times, Ti, Mn, Cu, Se-2 times and Fe, Ni, Zn, Br, Zr, Mo almost 2 times more than in the rural environment. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) depth profile analyses were performed for aerosol particles collected at Al-foils with the use of nine-stage rotating plates cascade impactor. SIMS results obtained with the use of 5 keV Ar+ ion sputtering show "core-shell" structure of urban and rural particles dependent of their grain size in the range of 300 nm to 15 mu m. Ultra fine (300-500 nm diameter) rural particles have shell layers enriched in iron and manganese, while such enrichment is typical for coarse (5-10 mu m diameter) urban particles. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.