This review summarizes and discusses the schemes most frequently described in the literature for the chemical sequential fractionation of metal and metalloids in airborne particulate matter. The schemes were classified in five main categories: i) based on Tessier's procedure, ii) based on Chester's procedure, iii) based on Zatka's procedure, iv) based on BCR procedure, and v) other procedures. The state of the art of the main applications, optimizations and innovations in methodologies for metal fractionation in airborne particulate matter, fly ashes and workroom aerosols are also reviewed. The survey includes 67 references and covers principally the literature published over the last fifteen years.