Attic dust and soil samples were collected from three communities in southern Nevada and Utah. The samples were analyzed for 17 trace elements (Li, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Cu, Zn, Ga, As, Rb, Sr, Cd, Cs, Ba, Pb, Sn, Sb) by ICP-MS and semivolatile organic compounds by GC-MS. Elements traditionally found enriched in road and house dust in urban areas (Pb, Zn, Cd, Sb, Sn) were even more highly enriched in attic dust. Lead stood out as having the highest enrichment factors (relative to both the local soil and its natural abundance) and was highly correlated with the age of the house (R 2 =0.87, n=8). Analysis of the samples for pesticides found DDT and chlordane, but only in the older attics. Together, these data suggest that undisturbed attics may act as archives of atmospheric dust, by preferentially trapping and preserving airborne particulate matter, and should be considered by researchers interested in study of past atmospheric dust and/or reconstructing exposure histories.