The article provides a comprehensive review of rare earth elements (REE), focusing on their origins, dispersion, and environmental implications. REE, comprising 16 chemically similar elements, are widely distributed in rocks, soils, and water bodies, sharing ionic radii with Ca²⁺ and forming trivalent cations similar to Al³⁺. Their accumulation in soils poses environmental risks due to their higher reactivity compared to Ca. The increasing use of REE in modern technology and fertilizers has led to concerns about soil and water pollution, with studies focusing on REE toxicity, fate in soil-plant systems, ecosystem cycling, and impacts on food security. The review covers analytical approaches, ecological impacts, and the behavior of REE in different environmental compartments, including the lithosphere, pedosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. It also discusses the challenges in determining REE concentrations and their mobility, speciation, and transfer from abiotic to biotic compartments. The article highlights the importance of sequential leaching methods to evaluate REE mobility and plant availability, and the role of soil organic matter in REE sequestration and leaching. Additionally, it explores the occurrence of REE in sediments, coal, and coal ash, and their distribution in different soil types, influenced by factors such as parent material, climate, and biological activity.The article provides a comprehensive review of rare earth elements (REE), focusing on their origins, dispersion, and environmental implications. REE, comprising 16 chemically similar elements, are widely distributed in rocks, soils, and water bodies, sharing ionic radii with Ca²⁺ and forming trivalent cations similar to Al³⁺. Their accumulation in soils poses environmental risks due to their higher reactivity compared to Ca. The increasing use of REE in modern technology and fertilizers has led to concerns about soil and water pollution, with studies focusing on REE toxicity, fate in soil-plant systems, ecosystem cycling, and impacts on food security. The review covers analytical approaches, ecological impacts, and the behavior of REE in different environmental compartments, including the lithosphere, pedosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. It also discusses the challenges in determining REE concentrations and their mobility, speciation, and transfer from abiotic to biotic compartments. The article highlights the importance of sequential leaching methods to evaluate REE mobility and plant availability, and the role of soil organic matter in REE sequestration and leaching. Additionally, it explores the occurrence of REE in sediments, coal, and coal ash, and their distribution in different soil types, influenced by factors such as parent material, climate, and biological activity.