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The concentrations of heavy metals (HMs) in the airborne particulate matter (PM) from the background areas in Central Asia, namely, Abramov Glacier, Sary-Chelek Biospheric Reserve, and Chatkal Biospheric Reserve, were studied by using a high sensitive neutron activation analysis. The annual concentration change in HMs in the PM from Abramov Glacier was investigated in more detail as an environmental clean area compared to other remote areas. It was found that the concentrations of HMs in the PM from Abramov Glacier varied from 5,960 ng/m(3) for Fe to 0.0005 ng/m(3) for Au. High concentrations of Au, Cr, Sb, Sc, Fe, Co, and PM were observed in summer season due to the contribution of soil dust from the arid territories. A general increase in the concentrations of Hg, Zn, and Br in the PM of Abramov Glacier in a cold season specified mainly anthropogenic sources. Data of lognormal trends for the distribution of HMs in the PM of Abramov Glacier showed that a strongly pronounced bimodal distribution was characteristic for Au, Sb, Hg, Na, Co, Zn, and PM. The high concentration of Fe, Na, Sb, and Sm in the fractions containing large particles of PM was related to the contribution of the local lithogenic natural aerosols. The high concentration of Cr, Zn, Sb, Br, Na, Cu, and Au in the fractions containing small particles less than 0.4 mu m might be related to the contribution from the thermal power stations, metallurgical enterprises, forest fires, etc. The obtained data are important for an estimation of background level pollution of atmospheric air of the remote regions in Central Asia with heavy metals.