The hygroscopic behavior of atmospheric aerosols has a significant effect on the global climate change. In this study a physisorption analyzer was used to measure the water adsorption capacity of Al2O3, NaCl, NH4NO3, and (NH4)(2)SO4 particles at 273.6 K. Qualitative and quantitative information about water adsorption on these particles was obtained with changing the temperature and/or relative humidity (RH). Uptake of water on Al2O3 showed a type-II BET adsorption isotherm with the monolayer formed at similar to 18% relative humidity (RH). The hygroscopic properties of NaCl, (NH4)(2)SO4, and NH4NO3, including the deliquescence relative humidities (DRH), the temperature dependence of the DRH for NH4NO3, and the growth factors of NaCl and (NH4)(2)SO4 were determined. All these results were in good agreement with the results obtained by other methods and/or theoretical prediction with a deviation less than 2%. For NaCl, the water adsorption amount increase rate exhibits three stages (<30% RH, similar to 30%-65% RH, and >65% RH) in the predeliquescence process and monolayer thin film water was formed at about 30% RH. It demonstrated that this instrument was practicable for studying the hygroscopic behavior of both soluble and insoluble but wettable atmospheric nonviolate aerosol particles.