<p>Hydrocarbon contamination of soil remains a major environmental challenge. However, many remediation strategies still lack a holistic framework that simultaneously considers environmental, technical, and economic dimensions. This review evaluates recent trends in the remediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soils by critically analyzing biological, chemical, physical, and combined technologies within a life cycle assessment (LCA) framework. Drawing on more than one hundred peer-reviewed studies, we synthesize evidence on ecological impacts, technical performance, and economic outcomes, including greenhouse-gas emissions, energy demand, and long-term soil quality after treatment. In general, biological technologies impose lower environmental burdens but often require longer treatment times to meet remediation targets. Thermal technologies can achieve rapid contaminant removal, particularly for heavily polluted or time-sensitive sites, but are typically associated with high energy use and secondary emissions. Emerging treatment trains that couple an initial physical or chemical step with a subsequent biological polishing stage show promise for balancing remediation efficiency with environmental sustainability.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>