A novel, rapid and simple method by hydride generation-electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (HG-ETAAS) after direct As, Bi, Sb and Sn hydrides generation from untreated filters of atmospheric particulate matter (PM(10) and PM(2.5)) was optimised. PM(10) and PM(2.5) were not subjected to any pre-treatment: circular portions between 0.28 and 6.28cm(2) were directly placed into the reaction vessel of a batch mode generation system. A 2(8)x3/64 Plackett-Burman design was used as a multivariate strategy for the evaluation of the effects of several variables affecting the hydride generation, trapping and atomisation efficiencies. Trapping temperature was the most statistically significant variable for As, Bi and Sn. Atomisation temperature was also statistically significant for Sb determination. Optimum values of significant variables were selected by using univariate optimisation approaches. An aqueous calibration method was used throughout. The developed method has been found to be precise with relative standard deviations of 6.2, 5.3, 9.1 and 7.5% for 11 determinations in a filter sample containing 0.7, 1.0, 1.4 and 1.7microg l(-1) for As, Bi, Sb and Sn, respectively. Results obtained by direct solid sampling-HG-ETAAS have been found statistically comparable with those obtained after conventional method based on an acid digestion followed to ICP-MS. Absolute detection limits were 37, 15, 30, and 41ng l(-1) for As, Bi, Sb and Sn, respectively. Detection limits referred to the air volume sampled (in the range of 0.020-0.050ng m(-3)) were low enough for the determination of several hydride-forming elements from PM(10) and PM(2.5) samples collected in a non-polluted suburban area of A Coruña (NW Spain).