Soil pollution represents a growing yet often overlooked threat to global public health. This study investigates 3000 soil contamination-related health cases across six continents to examine the spatial, demographic, and systemic patterns of disease severity and exposure. Integrating Environmental Justice Theory and Risk Society Theory, the analysis reveals that soil pollution disproportionately affects marginalized populations particularly children and the elderly irrespective of pollutant concentration levels or visible industrial activity. The findings emphasize the role of invisible, historically embedded risks that escape regulatory oversight and disproportionately impact low-regulation and low-income regions. Additionally, the study uncovers that traditional remediation and regulatory strategies alone are insufficient in addressing the cumulative and complex nature of soil-related health threats. Community-based awareness programs and participatory governance emerge as critical components of effective intervention. This research contributes to the interdisciplinary understanding of environmental health by positioning soil pollution as both a socio-political and scientific issue, requiring adaptive policy mechanisms that prioritize equity, transparency, and transnational responsibility. Ultimately, the study calls for a redefinition of environmental risk frameworks moving from exposure control to justice-centered, community-informed solutions.
Çelik et al. (Wed,) studied this question.