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The effect of artificial aeration on plant growth in constructed wetlands in terms of above and below ground biomass and nutrient uptake of two macrophyte species Phragmites australis and Typha latifolia was carried out to provide quantitative, mechanistic evidence to support any differences between the plant species establishment. Pilot scale systems were built and supplied with different intensities of aeration and corresponding controls, with supporting evidence from two full scale operational sites. Results show T. latifolia was more impacted by aeration than P. australis when comparing against their respective non-aerated controls, evidenced in reduced height, growth rate and leaf length. However, the impact was less visible due to T. latifolia's faster growth rate compared to P. australis. Micro and macronutrient uptake by each species had no discernible pattern, preventing the identification of a definitive mechanism to explain the retarded growth. However, results suggest a synergy between iron and manganese may be at play.

A comparison of the performance of four full-scale aerated horizontal flow constructed wetlands was conducted to determine the efficacy of the technology on sites receiving high and variable ammonia loading rates not yet reported in the literature. Performance was assessed in terms of ammonia and solids removal, hydraulic conductivity and mixing patterns. The capability of systems to produce ammonium effluent concentrations <3 mgNH 4 + -N/L was observed across all sites in systems receiving variable loadings between 0.1 and 13.0 gNH 4 + -N/m 2 /d. Potential resilience issues were observed in relation to response to spike loadings posited to be due to an insufficient nitrifying population within the beds. Hydraulic conductivity and flow mixing patterns observed suggested deterioration of the reactor effective volume over time. Overall, the study demonstrates the efficacy of the technology where ammonium removal is required on small sites receiving high and variable flow rates, with adequate removal of organics and solids, but no significant benefit to the long term hydraulics of the system.

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