Implementing comprehensive noise management plans in every organisation is not just a task; it is also a responsibility to maintain a productive and healthy atmosphere in the work environment. By upholding minimal noise exposure levels, we directly contribute to safeguarding workers' health and well-being, a mission that should drive our every action. Many studies have confirmed that, nowadays, exposure to noise at the workplace is, in most cases, above the proposed level. On the other hand, employees are also exposed to other physical stressors whose minimal variations affect productive capacity, social relations and employee health. In the context of Industry 5.0, it is crucial to adopt strategies that prioritise the well-being and comfort of employees. This human-centred approach enhances potency and fosters a sense of added value for workers, making them an integral part of an organization which improves resilience and a broader focus on sustainability. The paper analyses noise across 13 different industries, particularly emphasising the excessive sound pressure levels experienced by workers. It also delves into the critical values of 1/3 octave frequency that might harm different aspects of workers' health. In addition to this, worker satisfaction in standard and open-plan offices will also be considered. Particular emphasis will be placed on exploring diverse engineering solutions to minimise noise exposure, alongside conducting risk assessments in scenarios where preventive protection measures are not implemented for specific reasons.

Manganese (Mn) is an emerging environmental pollutant whose concentrations in soil, water, and landfill leachates may rise due to industrial and municipal activities. This exploratory, screening-level study investigated Mn behavior in laboratory-simulated landfill systems containing two offset-printed products and soil samples from municipal and illegal landfills in Serbia. Batch experiments were conducted over 60 days under two initial pH conditions, and Mn concentrations in the leachate were measured. The highest concentration, 0.093 mg/L, was recorded in the daily newspaper system containing illegal landfill soil at an initial pH of 3.25. This value exceeded the WHO health-based value (0.08 mg/L), the U.S. EPA secondary aesthetic standard (0.05 mg/L), and the freshwater predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC; 0.075 mg/L); the corresponding ecological risk quotient was 1.24. Leachate Mn concentrations differed among the investigated soil–printed waste systems, with the highest values in systems containing illegal landfill soil under acidic initial-pH conditions. Because print-free and soil-free controls were not included, the measured concentrations represent combined system behavior and cannot be uniquely attributed to either the native soil Mn pool or the offset-printed products. The results therefore provide an exploratory basis for source-resolved landfill studies. Future experiments should include blank controls and a closed mass balance across the printed product, soil, and liquid phase to quantify Mn release or retention.