Abstract: The study on sources of aerosols is a complicated multidisciplinary issue, which is significantly important in the source-tracing, explaining and appraising of pollutants. It supplies reasonable foundations for air pollution control and environment managing. The study is focused on the characteristics of mineralogy, chemistry and isotopic compositions of aerosols. Mathematical statistics is applied to distinguish and explain the sources of aerosols. The methods of research in the latest decade are in three types, i. e. mineral composition and corn shape, benchmark chemical composition and isotopic tracing.