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Two types of samples were used to chemically characterize the Saharan end‐member: fine fractions of surface soil samples collected in Northern Africa and particulate phases of typical Saharan rains. Since the concentrations measured in the particulate phase of the Saharan rains were corrected from the dissolution losses in rainwater, these particles were considered to be representative of the transported Saharan dust before being blended into rainwater. Al, Fe, P, and Pb were analyzed: except for lead, the chemical composition of the transported Saharan dust was more homogeneous than the composition of individual soils. As confirmed by the air mass back trajectories, the higher level of homogeneity of the aerosol is partly due to the fact that a dust event affects a large area of the Saharan desert, and the composition of the particles reflects the average composition of the eroded areas. Pb concentration in the …