Introduction
Soil pollution is a serious environmental issue that harms ecosystems, human health, and agriculture. Industrial waste, pesticides, and plastics contaminate the soil, reducing its fertility and increasing toxicity. As human activities expand, land degradation accelerates, affecting crops, water sources, and wildlife. Alarmingly, nearly one-third of the world soils are medium to severely degraded due to erosion, organic matter loss, salinization, compaction, acidification, and chemical contamination. Since it takes approximately 1,000 years to form just one centimeter of topsoil, soil loss is virtually irreversible within a human lifetime (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2018). Despite this, many overlook the long-term consequences, but the damage is widespread and lasting. Understanding its causes, environmental impacts, and prevention is essential for protecting natural resources. This paper examines the reasons of soil pollution, its ecnvironmental effects, and solutions to reduce its impact. This issue must be resolved for a healthier planet.