Monitoring air quality establishes the current status of local environments and provides a history of environmental evolution over time. The primary objective of monitoring is not only to gain knowledge of the environment but also to be able to predict subsequent developments and consequently design measures to ensure environmental sustainability. A clear statement of monitoring objectives is a vital precondition for correct decision-making in monitoring pollutants. These decisions involve how and where monitoring should be performed and the level of accuracy and precision which must be achieved. Air quality is influenced by many factors which determine its development and changes, and one of the greatest problems in urban life is air pollution. Air quality is subject to both the primary pollution sources and secondary influences which have differing impacts on current air pollutant concentrations. This paper examines problems in monitoring air pollution from road traffic, the influence of secondary factors (meteorological conditions) on detected concentrations of selected pollutants, chemical composition of particulate matter and identification source of particulate matter.