Although plastic has many desirable properties and numerous social benefits, it is a serious ecological problem due to massive application and difficult decomposing. Various environmental and anthropogenic impacts indicate that plastic breaks down into small particles that are ubiquitous in the environment. Microplastics (MPs) are detected in oceans and seas, freshwater, wastewater, glaciers, soils, air, sediments, precipitation, plants, animals, humans, food and drinking water worldwide. Traces of MPs have been found even in remote and sparsely populated areas, indicating far-reaching movement through environmental compartments. Inadequate waste management and wastewater treatment is considered the major source of MP pollution. MPs are persistent contaminants that can adversely affect the ecological balance of the environment and may damage the health of living organisms, including humans. This review emphasizes the current global problems of MP pollution. It covers different areas of MPs, which include basic characteristics, interactions with other pollutants, occurrence and impacts in the environment, toxic effects on living organisms, sampling, sample pre-treatment and analytical methodology for the identification and quantification of MPs in different matrices as well as potential reduction and remediation strategies and the possibilities for effective control of MPs in the environment. Various interesting and useful previously published knowledge collected in this review can serve as a valuable foundation for further MP research.

The increasing occurrence of landslides worldwide causes many human casualties and huge socio-economic losses. Therefore, the fastest and most accurate characterisation of landslides is important. The objective of this study is to compare how well the flat dilatometer (DMT) test and the piezocone penetration (CPTU) test can find the depth of a sliding zone. Inclinometers were used to measure horizontal changes in the soil to ensure the depth of the sliding zone was correct. The coincidence of the results of in situ static probes, and the displacements of the inclinometers is a sure confirmation of the depth of the sliding zone. In the example of Bedekovčina and Kravarsko landslides, in situ static probes were used to obtain values of input parameters on the sliding zone for parametric sensitivity analysis of parameters. Sensitivity analysis was performed by plotting the relationship between the above parameters and the vertical effective stress σ′_vo on the sliding zone. The sensitivity analysis of the parameters of 11 tested samples shows that for the parameters of the obtained DMT probe, a higher sensitivity of the parameters is obtained, closer to the values concerning the expected range, and a minor standard deviation. The parameter K_d obtained by dilatometer probing is the best indicator of the depth of the sliding zone. The literature value K_d = 1.8–2.0 on the sliding zone in this paper is extended to the range K_d = 1.8–2.5, and its detection sensitivity is influenced by over-consolidation in shallow soil layers. In general, the research results show that the dilatometer probe has an advantage over the piezocone penetrometer test for the needs of landslide characterisation.

In the last few decades, modern geotechnical and geophysical in situ researches have been increasingly applied because they represent methods of quickly and instantly obtaining data on the properties and structure of the soil. Exploratory drilling is a research method that only obtains one-dimensional data, and compared to geotechnical and geophysical in situ research, it is relatively expensive and time-consuming. By combining all the research methods mentioned above, the most reliable and high-quality data for soil characterization is obtained. In this paper, examples of the application of geotechnical and geophysical research at two locations, Dugo Selo and Sesvetski Kraljevac, are processed. Applied geotechnical methods include, in addition to exploratory drilling, static cone penetrometer probing (CPTu), dilatometer probing (DMT) and dynamic heavy percussive penetration (DPH). From the geophysical investigations, 2-D geoelectric tomography (ERT) and multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) were performed. Also, an analysis of soil parameters obtained by exploratory drilling and in situ geotechnical methods was carried out. Undrained shear strength (cu) and compressibility modulus (M) were selected for comparison. The analysis shows that exploratory drilling results in lower values of the analyzed parameters on average compared to the results of in situ testing.

Varaždin County is underlain by Neogene and Quaternary clays and marls that are prone to landslides triggered by intense rainfall. In this study, a landslide risk assessment was carried out for nine municipalities during 2023–2025 using open-source QGIS software and Sentinel-2 imagery. The analysis integrated static factors (slope, aspect, land use) with the dynamic factor NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) through Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) and a weighted linear combination. Slope was assigned the highest weight (40%), while NDVI contributed 20%. The results reveal clear spatial contrasts: mountainous municipalities (Donja Voća, Klenovnik, Bednja, Lepoglava, Ivanec) show high to very high landslide risk, whereas lowland municipalities along the Drava River (Cestica, Petrijanec, Maruševec) remain largely stable. Temporal differences are small, with 2023 showing the highest landslide risk and 2024 the lowest. NDVI-driven fluctuations reflect vegetation dynamics but are less influential than topography. Overall, the findings demonstrate the value of open data and free GIS tools for regional hazard mapping. The produced maps provide useful guidance for spatial planning and disaster risk management, while also pointing to the potential of integrating additional datasets in future studies to further improve the robustness of the approach.