Industrialization and urbanization are the two major causes of deteriorating air quality. To evaluate the ambient air quality of the Coimbatore city, suspended particulate matter (SPM) was collected at ten stations and analysed for the heavy metals content. The concentrations of seven heavy metals (Zn, Fe, Cu, Pb, Ni, Cr and Cd) were estimated. The level of SPMI was found to be either at permissible or non-permissible limit depending upon the category of the sampling station. At majority of sampling stations, concentrations of Zn were found to be maximum than other heavy metals. The order of average concentrations of heavy metals in Coimbatore atmospheric air was Zn > Fe > Cu > Pb > Cr > Ni > Cd. The usage of Zn for protective coating on iron, steel etc. by the industries in Coimbatore city could be the major reason for the higher concentration of this heavy metal in this region. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.