The study was undertaken to evaluate the correlation between benzo[a]pyrene and coal tar pitch volatiles concentrations and mutagenic activity of airborne particles sampled at different workplaces of the factory producing various types of tires. The solid phase of aerosols was collected on Whatman glass-fibers filters using Staplex pumps. Coal tar pitch volatiles (CTPVs) were extracted from sample filters using ultrasonic-benzene extraction and determined by the gravimetric method. Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) analysis was performed using high performance liquid chromatography with a spectrofluorimetric detector. The mutagenic substances were extracted from collected material with acetone. The mutagenic properties were estimated with the Ames' test using S. typhimurium strain TA98 without and with S9 fraction. At nearly all workplaces the concentrations of BaP and CTPVs were within the range of 4-61 ng/m3 and 0.11-1.26 mg/m3, respectively. Only at weighing were they much higher and amounted to 172-2261 ng/m3 for BaP and 3.05-4.07 mg/m3 for CTPVs. The highest exposure to mutagenic airborne particulate matter was found at weighing (1500 rev/m3), the mixers loading level (> 500 rev/m3) and the carbon black station (> 150 rev/m3). The air mutagenic activity at other workplaces, especially at the extruder mill of the mixer (> 90 rev/m3), the two-roll mill of mixers (> 70 rev/m3), mixer I loading (> 70 rev/m3), calendering (> 70 rev/m3) and fender vulcanizing (> 80 rev/m3) was even much more higher than that found in the urban indoor and outdoor air (2-9 rev/m3).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)