Health resorts should be in a position to provide, not only mineral waters and muds, but also air quality good enough for climatotherapy to be conducted in the open air. Thanks to a lack of industry in Poland's health resorts, gaseous air pollutants do not pose a problem. In contrast, the air at health resorts resembles that elsewhere in the country (Europe's most polluted overall) in being affected by particulate matter (PM10s, PM2.5s and benzo(a)pyrene). Breathing polluted air causes variety of problems, in particular for the elderly and children - i.e. people who most often constitute spa patients. Poland has 45 health resorts established statutorily, with one organised in a salt mine. 8 towns enjoy Spa Protection Area status. In 2018 almost 850,000 patients received spa treatment (though a slightly more contentious issue might be how many actually benefited from this, as about 40% of these people stay at spas during the heating season, and are therefore exposed to high levels of air pollution). In the years 2010-2018, permanent monitoring of PM10s was only engaged in at 14 of Poland's spas, with just 6 having full data from 2010 on. PM2.5 and B(a)P are monitored at even fewer stations. This paper analyses values and courses for mean annual, monthly and daily concentrations of these pollutants, noting numbers of days on which permissible levels were exceeded and seeking reasons for this state of affairs. Among the health resorts with air-pollution monitoring, the most polluted are Swoszowice, located in the suburbs of Cracow, followed by Cieplice located in a valley, next to Jelenia Góra, Szczawno-Zdrój and Busko-Zdrój. Average PM10 concentrations in most of the spas fell within the legal norm (failing to do so in only 2 cases), but numbers of days with PM10>50 μg·m-3 exceeded permissible levels in most of the spas. Long-term monitoring of PM2.5s was carried out only in 5 towns. On selected days concentrations of these reached 300 μg·m-3. Yearly averages were also beyond the norms, though the trend has fortunately been slightly downward. The worst situation applies to B(a)P, as the pollutant most toxic and dangerous to human health. Over the analysed period, its concentration at all the spas displayed 2- to 10-fold exceedances of permissible levels. The main reason for such severe air pollution is short-stack emission, i.e. the uncontrolled combustion of poor-quality coal, wood or even waste, in domestic stoves that only achieve low combustion temperatures. This is the reason for the marked seasonality of data for PM10s, PM2.5s and B(a)P, with highest concentrations noted from October to March, during the heating season, and least severe problems being present in summer. For a start, the extremely severe air pollution noted in the spas during the cold half of the year completely precludes their application o climatotherapy outside buildings. Indeed, as the pollutants also penetrate buildings themselves, patients breathe them in as they receive physical therapy and go through all the different treatments spa facilities have to offer. Air-pollution sources, topographical conditioning of such poor air quality and difficulties with achieving any improvement in the situation may be encapsulated effectively by reference to the three following mini case-studies. Szczawno-Zdrój is a foothills health resort in a valley location, with most facilities on the valley bottom, and with a national road running through the centre (past the main Spa, sanatoria and parks) that is highly congested as it acts as a beltway for the city of Wałbrzych. The town does have permanent air-pollution monitoring, and rightly so, given the problems. Szczawnica is a mountain health resort, and hence a popular tourist destination in a beautiful location in the Pieniny Mountains. While air pollution in the main valley is severe, the sanatoria are fortunately located on the slopes of the valley sides. Only periodically is air pollution measured here. Busko-Zdrój is a lowland health resort, featuring a provincial road with heavy traffic running close to the hospitals and sanatoria. The Buskowianka mineral-water factory is located in the centre of the town, which is the subject of permanent air-pollution monitoring. The main source of air pollution in these small, mostly non-gasified towns, is shortstack emission from stoves and fireplaces in individual houses. Road transport comes second. Often there is a downflow of polluted air towards the lower-lying parts (in Busko- Zdrój) and to the valley bottoms where spas are often located (Szczawno-Zdrój). Many programmes aimed at improving air quality have been adopted and pursued at these health resorts, but no more-spectacular success has been achieved. Only in the lowland spa at Busko-Zdrój has recent construction of a beltway offered a chance for lorry traffic to be reduced. The Buskowianka mineral-water plant is also set to move outside the town. There would seem to be no easy solutions in the case of the other health resorts in their more-elevated locations. The poor air conditions in large measure reflect state policy not doing enough to promote renewable energy sources and "clean" technologies, while maintaining and co-financing unprofitable coal mines. However, a further cause needs to be sought in basic poverty, the high price of gas, and widespread ignorance of the fatal consequences of the domestic combustion of items that should never be burned at low temperatures. While there are in fact many further problems, the main one still reflects a situation in which, if heating by coal is not abandoned, spa municipalities will inevitably fail to cope with air pollution on their own. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]