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Three monthly 24-hour samples of airborne aerosols (PM10 and PM2.5) were collected at an urban and a rural site of the North central, semi-arid part of India during May 2006 to March 2008. Seven trace metals (Pb, Zn, Ni, Fe, Mn, Cr and Cu) were determined for both sizes. The annual mean concentration for PM10 was 154.2 mu g/m(3) and 148.4 mu g/m(3) at urban and rural sites whereas PM2.5 mean concentration was 104.9 mu g/m(3) and 91.1 mu g/m(3) at urban and rural sites, respectively. Concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 have been compared with prescribed WHO standards and NAAQS given by CPCB India and were found to be higher. Weekday/weekend variations of PM10 and PM2.5 have been studied at both monitoring sites. Lower particulate pollutant levels were found during weekends, which suggested that anthropogenic activities are major contributor of higher ambient particulate concentration during weekdays. Significant seasonal variations of particulate pollutants were obtained using the daily average concentration of PM10 and PM2.5 during the study period. PM2.5/PM10 ratios at urban and rural sites were also determined during the study period, which also showed variation between the seasons. Three factors have been identified using Principal Component Analysis at the sampling sites comprising resuspension of road dust due to vehicular activities, solid waste incineration, and industrial emission at urban site whereas resuspension of soil dust due to vehicular emission, construction activities and wind blown dust carrying industrial emission, were common sources at rural site. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.