Oil refinery activities are considered to be one of the most important sources of heavy metal emissions in the environment and can cause soil pollution and increase ecological and health risks. The present study was conducted with the aim of assessing the status of heavy metal pollution, determining ecological and human health risks, and identifying pollution hotspots in soils located near the wastewater discharge route of the Baiji Oil Refinery in Iraq. For this purpose, 15 soil samples were taken from the wastewater discharge route to the Tigris River and the concentrations of eight heavy metals were measured using an ICP-MS device. The examination of pollution indices showed that the overall condition of the region was in the low to moderate pollution range, however, Cd and Hg contributed the most to the increase in ecological risk. The PERI index showed moderate risk in a significant part of the sites, and sites 6, 9, 14 and 15 were identified as hotspots of contamination. The results also showed that organic matter and clay percentage are the most important factors affecting the accumulation of heavy metals in the soil. The health risk assessment showed that although the non-carcinogenic risks for adults were within acceptable limits, children faced unacceptable risks at 100% of the sites. The ELCR values at all sites for both age groups were above the standard range. Overall, the findings indicate that continued input of pollutants could lead to increased environmental and health risks in the region in the future.