Floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) are artificial platforms that allow aquatic emergent plants to grow in water.
Aquatic macrophytes and microorganisms attached to plant roots contribute to the remediation of the
contaminated water through physicochemical and biological processes. The pollutant removal treatment performance is affected by various factors, including the plant species. In this study, several plant species, i.e. Canna
generalis, Phragmites australis, Pennisetum purpureum, Cyperus alternifolius rottb, Kyllinga brevifolia rottb, and
Cyperus ordoratus were investigated for their potential to clean-up water from the Hang Bang canal in Ho Chi
Minh City (Vietnam). Canna generalis, Phragmites australis, and Cyperus alternifolius were found to be suitable for
FTWs with the highest performance compared to that of other plant species investigated. The organic and nitrogen removal rates amounted to 48–70 g COD m- 3 d- 1 and 0.7–1.2 g N m- 3 d- 1, respectively, whereas the
reduction of pathogens was around 1.86–3.00 log. Furthermore, FTW systems bring other benefits such as
improving ecosystem functioning and biodiversity, producing value-added products from plant biomass, as well
as attracting the attention of communities, thus increasing social acceptance of environmental technology
interventions.