Emergent aquatic plants play a crucial role in cleaning up polluted water bodies. A study looked at how five different plants absorb nutrients like phosphorus, nitrogen, and ammonia in a river in Beijing. They found that some plants are better at taking up certain nutrients depending on the levels of other nutrients in the water. For example, Acorus calamus and Alisma plantago-aquatica are good at absorbing ammonia, while Typha orientalis is great at taking up nitrate. These findings can help choose the right plants for cleaning up different types of polluted water bodies.