<p>In the field of geotechnical engineering, the evaluation of passive earth pressure on retaining walls is crucial. Due to the heterogeneity of soil, soluble minerals tend to aggregate. The localized dissolution of soluble minerals reduces soil strength, which in turn may cause an overestimation of the passive earth pressure on retaining walls. In this study, the Discrete Element Method (DEM) was employed to illustrate the impacts of localized dissolution on passive earth pressure through pressure dissolution. The influences of the size and location of dissolvable zones on passive earth pressure under translation mode were analyzed. The results demonstrated that an increase in the size of the dissolvable zones correlates with a gradual decrease in the passive earth pressure. When the wall displacement is minimal, the passive earth pressure decreases as the dissolvable zone approaches closer to the moving retaining wall and the bottom of the backfill. However, with greater wall displacement, the effect of the dissolvable zone’s location on passive earth pressure becomes less pronounced. The presence of dissolvable zones in critical areas, coinciding with the plane of shear failure surface in the absence of dissolution, leads to a significant reduction in the shear strength of the backfill. Furthermore, variations in the size and location of the localized dissolvable zone impact the distribution of force chain and formation of shear bands.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>