PM2.5　and　total　suspended　particulate　(TSP)　samples　were　collected　from　June　to　September　2010　at　Qinghai　Lake,　northeastern　Tibetan　Plateau.　The　concentrations　of　major　water-soluble　ions,　10　elements,　elemental　carbons　(ECs)　and　organic　carbons　(OCs)　were　quantified.　Mass　concentrations　of　PM2.5　and　TSP　were　21.27　+/-　10.70　mu　g　m(-3)　and　41.47　+/-　20.25　mu　g　m(-3),　respectively,　and　the　mean　ratio　of　PM2.5/TSP　was　0.51.　The　greatest　anion　and　cation　in　both　PM2.5　and　TSP　samples　were　SO42-　and　Ca2+,　respectively.　Crustal　elements,　such　as　Ca,　Fe　and　K,　were　the　main　elements　in　our　aerosol　samples,　and　their　enrichment　factors　(EFs)　were　lower　than　10.　EFs　for　Pb,　As,　and　Zn　were　greater　than　10,　indicating　that　they　were　influenced　by　anthropogenic　sources.　EC　concentrations　were　0.33　+/-　0.17　mu　g　m(-3)　and　0.47　+/-　0.28　mu　g　m(-3),　whereas　OC　concentrations　were　1.49　+/-　0.63　mu　g　m(-3)　and　2.30　+/-　0.95　mu　g　m(-3)　in　PM2.5　and　TSP,　respectively.　Based　on　the　calculated　ratios　of　EC/TC　and　K+/EC,　most　of　the　ECs　were　found　to　be　related　to　biomass　burning　emissions.　Because　of　the　pollution　from　local　sources,　the　ratios　of　OC/EC　were　4.77　+/-　1.32　and　5.23　+/-　1.39　in　PM2.5　and　TSP,　respectively,　which　were　lower　than　those　of　other　remote　sites.　Salt　particles　produced　by　the　salty　lake　reacted　with　acid　gases　and　caused　most　of　the　nitrates　and　a　small　fraction　of　sulfate　to　be　distributed　in　coarse　mode:　Cl　deficit　was　also　observed　in　our　aerosol　samples.　Results　of　backward　trajectories　and　correlation　analysis　show　that　the　concentrations　of　SO42-,　OCs,　As,　Pb,　and　Zn,　were　influenced　by　the　long-distance　transport　from　eastern　China.　(C)　2013　Elsevier　B.V.　All　rights　reserved.