Abstract: In the past years, and also within the framework of this CRP, we have used a combination of several nuclear and non-nuclear techniques in fundamental research and especially in various applications. Most work has been done with energy-dispersive X ray fluorescence in combination with electron probe X ray microanalysis, but several other more common analysis techniques have been used as well. The applications have included mostly preventive conservation (e.g. characterisation of damaging atmospheric particles in many museums) and environmental monitoring (e.g. for atmospheric particles in relation to their health effects in outdoor and especially indoor environments). Fundamental aspects have been in the optimising of interfaced electron microprobe and Raman microprobe analysis and the evaluation of the potential of such an instrument for atmospheric aerosols; quite a few unexpected and unpredicted problems have appeared in the latter study.