Using marble wastes as a soil amendment for acidic soil neutralization

• Marble quarry waste (MQW) and marble cutting waste (MCW) were applied to an acidic soil.
• Soil reaction was neutralized successfully by applications of MCW and MQW.
• MQW and MCW can be used as soil amendments for acidic soil remediation.
• By this way the negative impact of marble wastes on the environment could be reduced.

One of the most important factors limiting plant growth is soil pH. The objective of this study is to determine the effectiveness of marble waste applications on neutralization of soil acidity. Marble quarry waste (MQW) and marble cutting waste (MCW) were applied to an acid soil at different rates and their effectiveness on neutralization was evaluated by a laboratory incubation test. The results showed that soil pH increased from 4.71 to 6.36 and 6.84 by applications of MCW and MQW, respectively. It was suggested that MQW and MCW could be used as soil amendments for the neutralization of acid soils and thus the negative impact of marble wastes on the environment could be reduced.