Abstract. The atmospheric concentrations of gaseous HNO 3 , HCl and NH 3 and their relative salts have been measured during two field campaigns in the winter and in the summer of 2007 at Beijing (China), as part of CARE-BEIJING (Campaigns of Air Quality Research in Beijing and Surrounding Region). In this study, annular denuder technique used with integration times of 2 and 24h to collect inorganic and soluble PM 2.5 without interferences from gas-particle and particle-particle interactions. The results were discussed from the standpoint of temporal and diurnal variations and meteorological effects. Fine particulate Cl − , NH 4 were higher during summer (12.30 µg m −3 and 18.24 µg m −3 , respectively) than during winter (6.51 µg m −3 and 7.50 µg m −3 , respectively). Daily mean concentrations of fine particulate Cl − were higher during winter (2.94 µg m −3 ) than during summer (0.79 µg m −3 ), while fine particulate NO − 3 showed similar both in winter (8.38 µg m −3 ) and in summer (9.62 µg m −3 ) periods. The presence of large amounts of fine particulate NO − 3 even in summer are due to higher local and regional concentrations of NH 3 in the atmosphere available to neutralize H 2 SO 4 and HNO 3 , which is consistent with the observation that the measured particulate species were neutralized. The composition of fine particulate matter indicated the domination of (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 during winter and summer periods. In addition, the high relative humidity conditions in summer periodCorrespondence to: A. Ianniello (ianniello@iia.cnr.it) seemed to dissolve a significant fraction of HNO 3 and NH 3 enhancing fine particulate NO − 3 and NH + 4 in the atmosphere. All measured particulate species showed diurnal similar patterns during the winter and summer periods with higher peaks in the early morning, especially in summer, when humid and stable atmospheric conditions occurred. These diurnal variations were affected by wind direction suggesting regional and local source influences. The fine particulate species were correlated with NO x and PM 2.5 , supporting the hypothesis that traffic may be also an important source of secondary particles.