plants

Review
Jute: A Potential Candidate for Phytoremediation of
Metals—A Review
Muhammad Hamzah Saleem 1 , Shafaqat Ali 2,3, * , Muzammal Rehman 4 ,
Mirza Hasanuzzaman 5 , Muhammad Rizwan 2 , Sana Irshad 6 , Fahad Shafiq 7,8 ,
Muhammad Iqbal 7 , Basmah M. Alharbi 9 , Taghreed S. Alnusaire 10 and Sameer H. Qari 11
1 MOA Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze
River, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070,
China; [email protected]
2 Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Government College University Allama Iqbal
Road, 38000 Faisalabad, Pakistan; [email protected]
3 Department of Biological Sciences and Technology, China Medical University (CMU),
Taichung City 40402, Taiwan
4 School of Agriculture, Yunnan University, Kunming 650504, China; [email protected]
5 Department of Agronomy Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University Dhaka 1207,
Bangladesh; [email protected]
6 School of Environmental Studies, China university of Geosciences, Wuhan 430070,
China; [email protected]
7 Department of Botany, Government College University Allama Iqbal Road, 38000 Faisalabad,
Pakistan; [email protected] (F.S.); [email protected] (M.I.)
8 Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB), University of Lahore, Lahore 54590, Pakistan
9 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk, Tabuk-71491, Saudi Arabia;
[email protected]
10 Biology Department, College of Science, Jouf University, Sakaka, 2014, Saudi Arabia;
[email protected]
11 Biology Department, Aljumum, University College, Umm Al-Qura University, Mecca 21955, Saudi Arabia;
[email protected]
* Correspondence: [email protected] or [email protected]




Received: 11 January 2020; Accepted: 6 February 2020; Published: 17 February 2020


Abstract: Jute (Corchorus capsularis) is a widely cultivated fibrous species with important
physiological characteristics including biomass, a deep rooting system, and tolerance to metal
stress. Furthermore, Corchorus species are indigenous leafy vegetables and show phytoremediation
potential for different heavy metals. This species has been used for the phytoremediation of
different toxic pollutants such as copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb).
The current literature highlights the physiological and morphological characteristics of jute that are
useful to achieve successful phytoremediation of different pollutants. The accumulation of these
toxic heavy metals in agricultural regions initiates concerns regarding food safety and reductions
in plant productivity and crop yield. We discuss some innovative approaches to increase jute
phytoremediation using different chelating agents. There is a need to remediate soils contaminated
with toxic substances, and phytoremediation is a cheap, effective, and in situ alternative, and jute can
be used for this purpose.

Keywords: fibrous crop; phytoextraction; environmental pollutants; morphological traits;

soil remediation; chelating agents

Plants 2020, 9, 258; doi:10.3390/plants9020258 www.mdpi.com/journal/plants

Plants 2020, 9, 258 2 of 14

1. Introduction
Heavy metals are elements with a high density, high relative atomic mass (their atomic mass
number is greater than 20), and metallic properties such as conductivity and cation stability [1–5].
Examples of heavy metals are Cu, Ni, Zn, Cd, Pb, and many others which can cause toxicity in plants.
Furthermore, some heavy metals such as Cu, Fe, Mo, and Zn are also micronutrients, i.e., required by
plants in minute quantities, but they can also cause toxicity when their levels go beyond the permissible
limits. In contrast, some other heavy metals such as Cd, Pb, and Hg are not essential for plants and
cause toxicity even in low quantities [6–13]. Cultivating plant species in highly contaminated soil can
cause morphological and physiological alterations in the plants which ultimately decrease crop yield
and productivity. Furthermore, these elements also play an integral role in many physiological and
biochemical processes such as the oxidation of many compounds, DNA synthesis, formation of many
important carbohydrates and proteins, and cell wall metabolism [3,6,14–16]. In contrast, high contents
of these elements in the soil are toxic for plants. Previously, in many studies, it was noticed that high
concentrations of metals in the soil affected crop yield and plant productivity [2,4,14,17–20]. Studies on
the phytotoxicity of heavy metals show that plant physiological process such as photosynthesis and
respiration are also affected in higher plants. [2,21–24]. In many studies, heavy metals such as Cd
and Pb are not essential for plant growth and are considered the “main threats” to the plants [25–27].
A report by Chen et al. [23] revealed that heavy metal pollution in the soil has become a critical
issue worldwide, and about 16% of the soil in China is contaminated by different heavy metals.
Moreover, heavy metals originate within the Earth’s crust; hence the occurrence of heavy metals in
soil is simply a product of weathering process [2,3,18]. Accumulation of these toxic pollutants in the
soil is dangerous to plant tissues and can alter many important biological and physiological processes
in plants. In addition, these toxic pollutants are non-biodegradable in the soil, which also makes
them very difficult to remove [6,17,28]. Heavy metal toxicity in plant tissues depends upon the plant
species. For instance, metal-tolerant species, also known as hyperaccumulators (able to accumulate
a large amount of heavy metals in their aboveground tissues) [29], have barrier mechanisms against
the toxicity caused by the heavy metal-initiated pressure, but the duration and magnitude of exposure
and other natural conditions add to the effect of heavy metals [3,4]. Some of the heavy metals such as
Cd, Ni, Zn, As, Se, and Cu are abundantly available in agricultural land, while Co, Mn, and Fe are
moderately bio-available, and Pb, Cr, and Ur are not readily available in the soil [30–32]. Hence, it is
necessary to measure, understand, and control toxic heavy metal contamination in the soil.
For this purpose, there are several techniques for removing heavy metals from metal-contaminated
soil such as soil washing, thermal desorption, incineration, stabilization, and soil flushing [33,34].
However, these techniques have many disadvantages such as cost, they require 24 h monitoring,
and they are not an efficient method to remove toxic heavy metals and other contaminants
from agricultural land [31,35]. Phytoremediation is the direct use of living green plants and
is an effective, cheap, non-invasive, and environmentally friendly technique used to transfer or
stabilize all the toxic metals and environmental pollutants in polluted soil or ground water [33,36].
Phytoremediation (phyto = plant, remediation = correct evil) means re-vegetation of land which
is spoiled by toxic substances and phytoremediation might be successful when plant using for
phytoremediation material can accumulate high concentration of heavy metals in their shoots
parts [2,37–39]. Furthermore, phytoremediation is concerned with the potential of a plant species to
accumulate high concentrations of toxic pollutants in their tissues. A number of plant metabolic
processes come into play to degrade various organic compounds. By contrast, inorganic pollutants
cannot be degraded in these processes easily. Hence, these inorganic pollutants should be less
bio-available for the plants and less easily transported in different parts of the plant tissues; there is
also a need to reduce the volatile forms of inorganic pollutants [2,40–46]. Hence, phytoremediation is
the best technique to deal with low amounts of organic or inorganic contaminants in the soil and can
be applied with other traditional soil remediation methods for efficient removal of toxic pollutants
from the soil [33,34,47]. There are many types of phytoremediation for agricultural land and water
Plants 2020, 9, 258 3 of 14

bodies, e.g., phytotransformation, rhizosphere bioremediation, phytostabilization, phytoextraction

(phyto-accumulation), rhizofiltration, phytovolatization, phytodegradtion, and hydraulic control.
The most common type of phytoremediation is phytoextraction in which green plants are cultivated
in metal-contaminated soil and accumulate large amounts of metals in their above ground parts;
these are hyperaccumulator species [31,48,49]. Previously, many plant species have been used
as hyperaccumulators for a range of heavy metals in the soil [23,50–55]. A report presented by
Muszynska and Hanus-Fajerska [31] mentioned that around 500 different plant species are known as
hyperaccumulators and can accumulate a large amount of toxic pollutants in their aboveground parts
without any toxic effects.
Recently, jute has been used in phytoextraction in different studies related to heavy metal
toxicity [47,56–59]. Jute is more tolerant to heavy metal stress among different fibrous crop probably
due to its distinct biological and physiological activities [27,56,60]. Jute is a vegetative fibrous crop (also
called allyott and golden fibre) and is a herbaceous annual plant belonging to the family Malvaceae;
there are two different types: Corchorus capsularis known as white jute (a variety that originates from
poor villagers in India) and Corchorus olitorius, known as Tosaa jute (a variety that originates from
native South Asia) [60–63]. Furthermore, it is a low-cost bast fibre crop, and its fibre is commonly used
for bags, sacks, packs, and wrappings. Jute is a rain-fed crop similar to rice and needs a very small
amount of fertilizer and due to its versatility; jute’s fibre is the second most important fibre source
after cotton [61,63,64]. Jute originates from the Mediterranean, but many countries in Asia such as
India, China, and Bangladesh and even many countries of South America are exporting premium jute.
These countries export 2300 × 103 to 2850 × 103 tons of jute fibre. In contrast to the fibre, jute is widely
consumed as a vegetable in almost all countries of Africa, and its leaves are used as a soup and are also
cultivated for fibre production [44,61,63]. China imports a large amount of jute fibre and its products
from Bangladesh, India, and other countries [65]. Jute is the cheapest fibre for mass consumption,
mainly glass fibre, while in terms of volume, it is the most important bast fibre after cotton. In the
modern era, jute fibres have replaced synthetic fibre in the composition of different households such as
carpets, ropes, sacks, etc. To ensure a sensible return to the farmers, a lot of new plant species have
been explored, and one of such avenue is the area of fibre -reinforced composites [60–63,65].
Although several excellent investigations have been done on jute [47,55–57,60,66,67] cultivated in
metal-contaminated soil, there is no comprehensive review on the phytoremediation potential of jute
plants grown in metal-contaminated soil. In this review article, the role of different heavy metals in the
morpho-physiological and phytoremediation potential of jute plant is discussed, and some practical
options are presented on how jute plays crucial role in the phytoextraction of different heavy metals.

2. Habitat, Growth, and Morphology of Jute

Jute is cultivated in hot and moist tropical regions of almost all continents, especially Asia and
Africa. Commercial jute cultivation is mainly restricted between 80◦ 180 E–92◦ E and 21◦ 240 N–26◦ 300
N on the Indo-Bangladesh sub-continent. Other major jute- and kenaf-growing countries are China,
Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia, Brazil, and Nepal. Africa and the Indo-Myanmar region are the primary
and secondary centers of origin, respectively, for jute, while the Indo-Myanmar region including South
China is considered the center of origin of jute [68–70]. Some major exporters of jute fibres along
their annual yields per tons are presented in Figure 1. African jute is also cultivated as a green leafy
vegetable for edible purposes [71]. Delta Ganga (India) is considered the best region for jute growth
because this region has alluvial soil types and a sufficient amount of rainfall. India was the greatest
exporter of jute worldwide but in 1947 India suffered a great setback because most of the area of
jute went to Bangladesh (East Pakistan), but fortunately, most of jute industries remained in India.
India has been the greatest producer of jute in the last 37 years; production increased from 4.1 million
bales to 233 10 million bales by 1998. After 1998, there was an irregular increase in jute production.
India is the leading producer of jute, with 1,968,000 tons /year followed by Bangladesh (1,349,000),
and China (29,628 tons /year) [62,72].
and broadcasting [60,69,73]. Jute should be harvested within 120–150 days immediately after the
shedding of the flowers. Early harvest provides good and healthy fibres. Plants with a height of 8–12
ft. are harvested with sickles close to the ground level. In flooded areas, the plants are harvested
without roots above the ground level. After harvesting, plants should be left in the ground until all
flowers are
Plants 2020, shed [62,72].
9, 258 4 of 14

Figure 1. Some major exporters of jute fibres and their annual yields per ton.
Figure 1. Some major exporters of jute fibres and their annual yields per ton.
Jute is a C3 plant and is a long, soft, shiny vegetable fibre. Jute is a Kharif crop, and the optimum
seed
3. Plantrate for a fibre
Selection crop is 4–6 and 6–8 kg/ha, while for seed jute, the rate is 3–4 and 4–5 kg/ha
Considerations
when sown in mid-May to mid-June. Consistent water logging is very dangerous to jute, and the
optimumThe adaptation
temperature of required
a plant tofor
metal-contaminated
the growth of jute soil for the
is from purpose
24–30 ◦C withof phytoremediation has
70–80% humidity and
been
rainfall of 160-200 cm annually. Moreover, a small amount of pre-monsoon rainfall (25–55 cm)the
widely accepted for the cleaning of metal-contaminated soil [3,23,74]. Furthermore, is
phytoremediation potential of a plant depends upon fertilizer application and growth conditions
also very useful for jute as it helps in the proper growth of the plant before the arrival of the proper
[14,24,75,76]. For phytoremediation of heavy metals, a plant species should have fast growing
monsoon. However, in the month of sowing, rainfall between 2.5–7.5 cm is sufficient for germinating
vegetation, be easy to maintain, use a large amount of water through evaporation, and convert toxic
jute seedlings. Light sandy or clayey loams or new grey alluvial soil is considered best for jute
pollutants into less toxic products [59,77]. Plants selected for heavy metal remediation should have
growth. Jute is mostly sown in clay or sandy loams and in river basins. Jute can also be cultivated
high biomass (length and weight) with some economic importance and should have active defense
in red soil which requires a high amount of animal manure. Acidic soil pH is required for the best
systems which help to tolerate the metal stress environment [19,34,78]. Furthermore,
growth, ranging from 4.8–5.8, and plains or low land is ideal for jute cultivation. The seeds of jute
phytoremediation plants are selected on the basis of root depth, the nature of pollutants, soil type,
are purgative [62,68]. Jute is a rainy seasonal crop and needs water amounts similar to rice, sown
and regional climate [79,80]. In the hotter regions of the world, phreatophytes (such as willow and
mostly in rainy seasons from March to April depending upon the water availability, with harvesting
cottonwood) are mostly selected because of their unique properties such as fast growth, a deep root
in August to September depending upon the sowing period. Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium
system, and a large number of stomata on their leaves (i.e., high transpiration rate); the plants should
are required as the fertilizers for jute growth. The most common sowing methods for jute are line
be native to the country. Hybrid poplar is selected as a terrestrial species while pondweed and
sowing and broadcasting [60,69,73]. Jute should be harvested within 120–150 days immediately after
coontail are selected as aquatic species [81,82]. The cleaning capacity of different types of producers,
the shedding of the flowers. Early harvest provides good and healthy fibres. Plants with a height of
i.e., grass, shrubs, and trees is 3%, 10%, and 20%, respectively. The nature of pollutants is also a key
8–12 ft. are harvested with sickles close to the ground level. In flooded areas, the plants are harvested
without roots above the ground level. After harvesting, plants should be left in the ground until all
flowers are shed [62,72].

3. Plant Selection Considerations

The adaptation of a plant to metal-contaminated soil for the purpose of phytoremediation
has been widely accepted for the cleaning of metal-contaminated soil [3,23,74].
Furthermore, the phytoremediation potential of a plant depends upon fertilizer application
and growth conditions [14,24,75,76]. For phytoremediation of heavy metals, a plant species should
have fast growing vegetation, be easy to maintain, use a large amount of water through evaporation,
and convert toxic pollutants into less toxic products [59,77]. Plants selected for heavy metal
remediation should have high biomass (length and weight) with some economic importance and
should have active defense systems which help to tolerate the metal stress environment [19,34,78].
Furthermore, phytoremediation plants are selected on the basis of root depth, the nature of pollutants,
soil type, and regional climate [79,80]. In the hotter regions of the world, phreatophytes (such as
willow and cottonwood) are mostly selected because of their unique properties such as fast growth,
a deep root system, and a large number of stomata on their leaves (i.e., high transpiration rate);
the plants should be native to the country. Hybrid poplar is selected as a terrestrial species while
pondweed and coontail are selected as aquatic species [81,82]. The cleaning capacity of different
types of producers, i.e., grass, shrubs, and trees is 3%, 10%, and 20%, respectively. The nature of
Plants 2020, 9, 258 5 of 14

pollutants is also a key factor in the selection of a plant for phytoremediation [34,80]. Grasses are
mostly planted in metal-contaminated soil or soil with organic pollutants in tandem with trees as the
primary remediation method. Moreover, grasses provide a tremendous amount of fine roots in the
surface soil which is effective at binding and transforming hydrophobic contaminants such as total
petroleum hydrocarbons and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons [34].
The selection of a plant for phytoremediation is based on plant species, soil type, and climatic
conditions. Among different plant species, indigenous plant species are more favorable with
greater tolerance to the stress environment, require less maintenance, and are less toxic for human
health than non-native or genetically altered species [2,33,34]. Furthermore, there are some plant
species with the ability to take up a large amount of metals in plant tissues without noxious effects
(hyperaccumulators) [55,56,60]. Hyperaccumulators are plants with the ability to accumulate a large
amount of heavy metals in their aboveground parts compared with their belowground parts without
any toxic damage caused to their tissues [23,49]. Jute (a widely used fibrous specie) has the ability to
accumulate a large amount of heavy metals in its harvestable parts when grown in metal-contaminated
soil [57–60]. Among different fibrous crops, jute has higher potential to tolerate metal-contaminated
soil possibly due to its specific physiological and biochemical activities [47,55].

4. Studies Related to Phytoremediation Using Jute

Despite the limited scientific knowledge on heavy metal behavior in jute based on the early
nineties of the last century, on-site studies were initiated in different countries of Asia, Europe and
North America—the reason was the long-lasting tradition in the breeding and growing of jute in these
countries and also the search for new roles of this crop both in agriculture and industry at the end of
the century. In addition, phytoremediation technology emerged at this time as a new approach to clean
the environment. Later, jute plants were used in phytoremediation of different heavy metals [83–85].
Nizam et al. [57] and Uddin et al. [59] used natural contaminated soil from the Mymensingh
district in Bangladesh (As-contaminated soil) and Bhalukaupazila, Bangladesh (Pb-contaminated
soil), respectively, cultivated with different varieties of jute. Their results depicted that all fibrous
crops accumulated considerable amounts of heavy metals, and high concentrations of these toxic
pollutants were transported to the above ground parts of the plants compared with the below ground
parts. Jute plants can germinate in metal-contaminated soil and are hence considered As and Pb
accumulators, exhibiting remediation capability in contaminated soil. The author concluded that jute
plant can be considered for phytoremediation technology in metal-contaminated soil.
In our previous study, [47], we also tried to investigate the potential and tolerance mechanism
of jute under the controlled condition with different levels of Cu (0, 100, 200, 300, and 400 mg kg−1 )
which was artificially contaminated CuSO4 .5H2 O. The objective of this experiment was to determine
the tolerance mechanism of jute and the effect of Cu toxicity on the morphological and physiological
behavior of the plant. The results illustrated that C. capsularis can tolerate Cu concentrations of
up to 300 mg kg−1 without significant decreases in growth or biomass, but further increases in Cu
concentration (i.e., 400 mg kg−1 ) led to significant reductions in plant growth and biomass. Furthermore,
increasing levels of Cu in the soil caused oxidative damage in the leaves of jute plants which was
overcome by the action of antioxidative enzymes. They noticed that, the concentrations of Cu in
different parts of the plant (the roots, leaves, stem core, and fibres) were also investigated at four
different stages of the life cycle of jute, i.e., 30, 60, 90, and 120 days after sowing (DAS). Cu was highly
accumulated in the roots in earlier stages of the growth while transported to the above ground parts
in the lateral stage of the growth. To support our results, we also conducted a Petri dish experiment,
providing short-term exposure of Cu to investigate Cu-sensitive and Cu-resistant varieties of jute
under the same level of Cu (50 µmol L−1 ) in the medium [55]. A similar pattern was observed:
a high concentration of Cu in the medium caused a significant decrease in plant height, plant fresh
and dry weights, total chlorophyll content, and seed germination. Similarly, Cu toxicity caused
lipid peroxidation which might be a result of hydrogen peroxide and electrolyte leakage. However,
Plants 2020, 9, 258 6 of 14

reactive oxygen species are toxic for plants, and a plant has a strong antioxidative defense system
to overcome the effect of ROS production. It was also noticed that jute has considerable potential to
absorb a large amount of Cu from the soil. Hence, in both of our studies, we noticed that jute can
tolerate Cu-stress due to a strong antioxidative defense system and can be used as a phytoremediation
tool in Cu-contaminated soil.
Vegetative jute has also been examined under untreated industrial wastewater irrigation to assess
the effect on the growth measurements as well as analyses of soils, irrigation waters, and plants for
heavy metal and nutrient concentrations [60]. The authors noticed that in the harvestable parts of the
plants the concentration of different heavy metals such as Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, and Zn were higher than
the roots of wastewater-irrigated plant. A remarkable reduction in the growth parameters of the plant
were observed when irrigated with untreated industrial wastewater. Hence, jute is a hyperaccumulator
species for different heavy metals such as Pb, Cr, Cu, Fe, and Zn.
Previously conducted studies also showed that phytoextraction of different heavy metals can
be enhanced by using different organic chelators or organic acids. Usually, many of the heavy
metals are adsorbed on soil particles, forming soil aggregates that are difficult to be integrated
by plants. Thus, organic acids or chelators with a low molecular weight are crucial to alter the
chemical activity/bioavailability of heavy metals and improve phytoextraction [19,52]. This method
was successfully used in different plant species such as rapeseed [19], maize [86], and sunflower [87].
Limited literature is available on the enhancement of the phytoextraction of different heavy metals
using jute plants. Mazen [88] conducted a hydroponic experiment with the exogenous application of
salicylic acid (SA) with the same levels (5 µg cm−3 ) of Cd, Pb, Al, and Cu and harvested all the plants
after 6 days. The authors noticed that application of SA is the safer option which significantly increased
the uptake of Cd and Pb and cysteine (cyst) and also increased plant growth and biomass of jute
seedlings. In another study, jute was cultivated in Pb-contaminated soil with exogenous application of
citric acid (CA), and it was illustrated that application of CA enhanced (Pb) uptake and minimized Pb
stress in plants [27]. Furthermore, CA is the most common chelating agent exogenously applied in the
nutrient solution of Cd-contaminated mixtures [89]. The authors also noticed the similar trend that
exogenous application of CA significantly improved plant growth and biomass in jute seedlings and
also increased phytoextraction of Cd when grown in Cd contaminated nutrient solution. Based on
this information, exogenous application of organic acids or chelators is a useful strategy to reduce
environmental risks associated with metal mobilization and an innovative approach for increasing
metal accumulation by jute plants and biomass production.
The accumulation of different heavy metals in the roots and shoots of jute along with the dry
weight of plants and removal of metals from the soil is shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Accumulation of different heavy metal in roots (mg/kg) and shoots (mg/kg) of jute along with
the dry weight (g/plant) and metal removal from the contaminated soil.

Heavy Metal Concentration Concentration Experiment

Dry Biomass Reference
(Type) in Roots in Shoots Type
As 2.1 4.6 28 Pot [57]
Pb 1.97 16.3 42.5 Pot [59]
Cu 60 61 0.1 Petri dish [55]
As 1.2 2.4 - Pot [66]
Pb 722 624 8.9 Hydroponic [27]
Cd - 167 4.9 Hydroponic [88]
Pb - 143 4.1 Hydroponic [88]
Cu - 495 7 Hydroponic [88]
Cd 261 41 1.28 Pot [60]
Pb 367 370 1.28 Pot [60]
Cr 563 631 1.28 Pot [60]
Cu 169 179 1.28 Pot [60]
Fe 679 682 1.28 Pot [60]
Plants 2020, 9, 258 7 of 14

Table 1. Cont.

Heavy Metal Concentration Concentration Experiment

Dry Biomass Reference
(Type) in Roots in Shoots Type
Ni 83 64 1.28 Pot [60]
Mn 120 102 1.28 Pot [60]
Zn 148 152 1.28 Pot [60]
Zn - 22 - Pot [58]
Cu - 16.3 - Pot [58]
Cd - 1 - Pot [58]
Pb - 5.2 - Pot [58]
Pb 17 22 - Pot [67]
Cu 20 23 - Pot [67]
Fe 292 305 - Pot [67]
Cr 42 53 - Pot [67]
Cu 260 534 43 Pot [47]
Cd 163 48 - Hydroponic [89]
Mn 0.017 - - Field [90]
Fe 0.218 - - Field [90]
Cu 0.009 - - Field [90]
Zn 0.025 - - Field [90]
Ni - 0.17 - Pot [91]
Zn - 6.40 - Pot [91]
Pb - 2.35 - Pot [91]
Cu - 5.78 - Pot [91]
Cd - 0.09 - Pot [91]
As - 0.04 - Pot [91]

5. Advantages of Jute as a Phytoremediation Candidate

Jute is mostly cultivated for its fibre production in most parts of the world. In addition, in the
rural areas of Africa and Asia, leaves of jute plants are also consumed as a green leafy vegetable [71].
These leafy vegetables are rich with nutritious proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, fats, minerals, and some
hormone precursors. Moreover, it is an indigenous leafy vegetable which has many important nutrients
in the human diet and has the ability to tolerate stress conditions [60,62]. Jute leaves are important
sources of some essential nutrients such as K, Mg, Fe, Cu, and Mn as well as some important pigments
that are essential for human and animal nutrition. Among these essential elements, jute is also a good
source of vitamins (A, C, and E) [92]. Furthermore, indigenous leafy vegetables can produce a high
yield even under stress conditions and are easy to cultivate and can be used to monitor pest and disease
control [62].
Woven jute fibres (a type of natural fibre) are used as comparison of carbon and glass fibres in
polymer matrix composites. Jute is also used as iron natural fibres in Mercedes-Benz E-class cars.
Furthermore, this unique natural plant has been used in many different components of vehicles
such as insulation parts, Cpillar trim, and seat cushion parts. At a commercial scale, jute has been
used as a material in packaging, for roping, and many other purposes. Among these applications,
upcoming applications of natural jute fibres include building/construction, home/garden furniture,
and the toy industry [62,68,72]. Hence, these are some industrial applications of jute which may
applicable when jute is grown in metal-contaminated soil. The flow chart diagram of jute and its uses
is shown in Figure 2.
 Furthermore, this unique natural plant has been used in many different components of vehicles such
as insulation parts, Cpillar trim, and seat cushion parts. At a commercial scale, jute has been used as
a material in packaging, for roping, and many other purposes. Among these applications, upcoming
applications of natural jute fibres include building/construction, home/garden furniture, and the toy
industry
Plants [62,68,72].
2020, 9, 258 Hence, these are some industrial applications of jute which may applicable when 8 of 14
jute is grown in metal-contaminated soil. The flow chart diagram of jute and its uses is shown in Figure 2.

Theflow
Figure2.2.The
Figure flowchart
chartdiagram
diagramofof jute
jute andand
its its uses.
uses.

6. Role of Chelating Agents in Assisting Phytoremediation of Heavy Metals

6. Role of Chelating Agents in Assisting Phytoremediation of Heavy Metals
In some previous studies, chelating agents such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA),
In some previous studies, chelating agents such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA),
Ethylenediamine-N,N’-disuccinic
Ethylenediamine-N,N’-disuccinic acid acid(EDDS),
(EDDS),and and citric acidacid
citric (CA)(CA)have have
been used
been asused
soil extractants,
as soil
and some chelates have also proved to be a source of micronutrient fertilizers
extractants, and some chelates have also proved to be a source of micronutrient fertilizers that that uphold the solubility
uphold
ofthe
micronutrients in hydroponic
solubility of micronutrients in solutions
hydroponic orsolutions
contaminated soil [19,93–95].
or contaminated In contrast,
soil [19,93–95]. some plant
In contrast,
species have species
some plant the potential to generate
have the potentialorganic acidsorganic
to generate in theiracids
rhizosphere, which may also
in their rhizosphere, which actmay
as aalso
chelate,
creating a complex known as an organic acid complex with metal interactions,
act as a chelate, creating a complex known as an organic acid complex with metal interactions, and and can take up a large
amount
can takeofupmetal from
a large the soil
amount of [52,53,96,97].
metal from theMoreover,
soil [52,96]. chelates
[53,97].aid efficientchelates
Moreover, metal phytoextraction
aid efficient
but notphytoextraction
metal their elimination, but e.g. an increase
not their in low
elimination, molecular
e.g. an increaseweight
in low organic acidsweight
molecular concentration
organic in
acids
the concentration
rhizosphere in the rhizosphere
provides carbon sourcesprovides carbon
for soil sources for soilthat
microorganisms microorganisms
facilitate metal thatmobilization
facilitate
metalthe
from mobilization
soil to thefromplantthe
bysoil
(a) to the plantadsorbed
replacing by (a) replacing
metals adsorbed metalsofatsoil
at the surface the particles
surface ofthrough
soil
particles throughreactions,
ligand-exchange ligand-exchange
and (b)reactions,
developing andmetal-organic
(b) developingcomplexes
metal-organic [97].complexes [97].
Hence using the chelators, we can increase the phytoextraction
Hence using the chelators, we can increase the phytoextraction of metals of metals
in juteinand
jutealso
andimproved
also
improved plant growth and biomass in jute plants. Although, a few literatures
plant growth and biomass in jute plants. Although, a few literatures are available of phytoremediation are available of
phytoremediation potential of jute using the chelating agents but a lot of experiments
potential of jute using the chelating agents but a lot of experiments has been conducted on different has been
conducted on different plant species under metal contaminated soil [26,51,86,98–101]. Niazy and
plant species under metal contaminated soil [26,51,86,98–101]. Niazy and Wahdan [27] studied
Wahdan [27] studied jute in Pb-contaminated soil with the application of CA in the nutrient solution
jute in Pb-contaminated soil with the application of CA in the nutrient solution and found that
and found that application of CA is helpful jute by increasing plant growth and biomass and the
application of CA is helpful jute by increasing plant growth and biomass and the phytoextraction
phytoextraction of Pb when jute is grown in a Pb-contaminated nutrient mixture. Hence, application
of Pb when jute is grown in a Pb-contaminated nutrient mixture. Hence, application of different
of different chelating agents may be helpful to jute plants to increase the phytoremediation potential
chelating agents may be helpful to jute plants to increase the phytoremediation potential when grown
when grown in metal-contaminated soil.
in metal-contaminated soil.

7. Conclusions and Future Prospects

Jute has considerable potential to tolerate metal-contaminated soil and accumulate a large amount
of metals in its body parts. Moreover, it has the ability to survive under different environmental
conditions with different growth types and can accumulate a large amount of metals in its harvestable
parts. When using jute plants in metal-contaminated soil, full-scale investigations of the long-term
phytoremediation of contaminated sediments is needed to evaluate the influence and the bioavailability
of contaminates. Hence, the presented investigations on jute when grown in metal-contaminated
Plants 2020, 9, 258 9 of 14

soil can help researchers to select this plant as a phytoremediation tool. Besides phytoremediation,
jute is a fibrous crop; when cultivated in metal-contaminated soil, jute can provide fibres which have
many industrial and medical advantages. The soft, uniform, cheap, and lengthy fibres are the unique
properties of jute to attract scientists to grow this species at a commercial level for the best economic
status of a country. It seems that phytoremediation of heavy metals using jute is an efficient approach
in modern agriculture all over the world. The utilization and importance of jute for its bast fibre have
widely been documented, but several other aspects still require further study to decrease the fibre
demand. For example, jute used as animal feed also needs to be studied because it might be a good
prospective to decrease the demand for animal feed in urban areas. The utilization of jute as a culinary
and medicinal herb also needs to be studied. Sonali bags (invented by Dr. Mubarak Ahmad Khan from
Bangladesh) should be more common than regular polythene bags as these are biodegradable and
eco-friendly. The extension of jute cultivation throughout the world also decreased when cultivated
only for fibre purposes. The application of chelating agents is an innovative approach to increase the
phytoremediation potential of a plant species. However, future research is needed to study the effects
of chelating agents on the quality of the fibre from jute to assess the viability of the potential of jute
application in the phytoremediation of metal contaminated soil. A lot of research is going on in the
field on jute as a phytoremediation candidate, but a lot of effort is needed to explore the commercial
utility of the natural fibre composites.
The following conclusions of the literature review are summarized:

• A few studies on the phytoremediation potential of jute have been published. These studies
concluded that jute is a hyperaccumulator species of different heavy metals.
• The published articles also revealed that jute can absorb different heavy metals from every source,
i.e., soil, water, and a field environment.
• Jute has a strong antioxidant defense system which can overcomes the effect of oxidative stress
caused by metal toxicity.
• After phytoremediation, the biomass of jute can be used for the production of value-added
by-products such as sheet, roof tiles, chairs, and tables.
• Application of chelating agents is effective. However, it not only increases phytoextraction of
heavy metals but also improves plant growth and biomass, even under stress conditions.

Funding: This research was supported by Higher Education Commission, Pakistan.

Acknowledgments: This research was supported by Higher Education Commission, Pakistan.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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