The effect of chemical treatment of a metallic substrate on the deposition behavior of charged aerosol particles derived from spraying droplets was investigated. A single substrate with areas having different hydrophilic levels was prepared as target surface. The treated (i.e., higher hydrophilic level) area, measured using a surface potential meter, showed a higher negative potential. A numerical simulation predicted that positively charged aerosol particles tended to approach and were subsequently immobilized on the high hydrophilic area. The area with higher hydrophilicity could collect particles with higher number concentration (density) than the other areas. The relationships were demonstrated in (i) the electrostatic surface potential, (ii) the hydrophilicity of surface, and (iii) the enhancement of adhesive force between the deposited particles and the surface. (C) 2014 Published by Elsevier Ltd.