A small area electrostatic aerosol collector includes a collector housing, an inlet nozzle that extends from the housing and an exit port that provides an exit for air to flow back out of the housing. A pumping arrangement pulls air into the housing through the inlet nozzle. The sampled air is moved through ductwork such that particulates are collected on a substrate and the air is evacuated through the exit port after collection. The collector includes a charging device positioned within the ductwork to create an electric field defining a charging point that the air passes through between the inlet nozzle and the substrate. The substrate is held at a neutral or opposite charge relative to the electric field created by the charging device. Particulates are collected on the sample substrate by containing the aerosol in a small area and by forcing the aerosol to flow near the substrate.