This paper reports the results from a study of the effects of particles on the boundary layer characteristics for cross flow over a single circular cylinder in the near separation region and on a cylinder located in the second row of a small mock-up heat exchanger array. Two size ranges of particles (45-85 Ixm and 100 200 ~tm) with two concentrations were used for the single cylinder tests. For the array, the larger particles were used at a single concentration. For the single cylinder, the results with the larger particles at mass loading ratio of 1.0 show an obvious effect on the velocity profile shape and on the rms levels. For reduced concentrations, and for the smaller particles, the effects are less noticeable. For the array, similar trends are observed and a delay in the separation point is reported.