Rijeka and Bakar are historically industrial areas of Croatia and as such suffer greater risk of soil, water and air pollution. The aim of this review paper was to describe the specific industrial history of this area, to give an overview of the relevant soil, water, sediment and air pollution-related research over the past few decades, with an emphasis on soil contamination, and finally, to determine the need of comprehensive environmental monitoring of the Rijeka- Bakar area. Overall, historically polluted sites and the pending disposal of hazardous waste in the area present a potential threat to the environment, and a comprehensive soil, water and air monitoring program would be advisable. Most recent soil surveys indicated that Pb, Zn and Hg concentrations exceed the limit values for industrial and commercial use in industrialized areas on occasion, therefore, heavy metals monitoring would prove beneficial for soil protection and management. The decrease of the industry had ultimately resulted in better air quality in Rijeka-Bakar area. Due to future predictions of increasing O3 levels on a global scale, monitoring of this air pollutant is greatly encouraged.