<p>Municipal solid waste landfills receive a variety of waste materials, i.e. household waste, commercial solid waste, non-hazardous sludge and industrial non-hazardous solid waste. Improper disposal may potentially result in the leaching of hazardous pollutants, as well as airborne hazards. Their association with adverse health effects, including impacts on reproductive health, metabolic processes, immune function, and cognitive development, underscores the importance of understanding their presence and distribution. The conducted research was focused on organic and inorganic components of landfill leachate from Serbian municipal solid waste landfills in Novi Sad, Sremska Mitrovica, Sombor and Zrenjanin. The leachate pollution index (LPI) highlighted the varying degrees of their pollution potential. Some landfills exceeded the no-pollution-potential value, with median values of 20.289, 11.742 and 10.661. Furthermore, Spearman rank correlation confirmed four strong positive correlations between different LPI parameters (Chemical Oxygen Demand/Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen, Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen/Ammonia Nitrogen, Chemical Oxygen Demand/Chromium and Chromium/Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen). The health risks posed by heavy metals and organic pollutants were assessed using the dermal cancer risk, cancer risk, hazard quotient and risk quotient, all of which have brought additional insights. Noticeably higher cancer risk values were present in certain landfills for Ni and Cr. The hazard quotient values showed differences in dermal and oral exposure pathways for adults and children. The results and patterns covered by this study further emphasize the need for careful monitoring. In the absence of robust landfill management practices, unlined landfills present a potential hazard to public health. This research prompts the evaluation of a range of contaminants, some well-known and others less so, that could endanger public health through different environmental pathways.</p>