the main objective of this study was the identification of sources generating particulate matter in the atmospheric aerosols of sete lagoas, minas gerais. the measurement of the mineral composition was accomplished by x-ray diffractometry and the elemental concentration by neutron activation analysis. the results showed that al, cl, cu, fe, k, mg and na are the predominant chemical elements in the total suspended particles (tps). the presence of na, ba, cl, cu, eu, fe and sm in those particles with aerodynamic diameter smaller than 10 μm (pm10), indicates that soil dust and ceramic and pig iron industries are the main sources of air quality degradation in the region.
