The process interaction of oxygen and pollutants is different in a ZeeLung MABR system compared to conventional active sludge and biofilm processes. With ZeeLung MABR, oxygen and substrates – such as ammonia and organics – enter the biofilm from opposite sides in a counter-diffusion configuration. This creates conditions that favor the growth of nitrifiers in the biofilm.This can be explained by the high diffusivity of ammonia into a biofilm, as compared to organic substrates, and the availability of dissolved oxygen which is highest at the media surface. Preferential growth of nitrifiers versus heterotrophs means that the ZeeLung biofilm “supercharges” nitrification in an activated sludge system. Simultaneous nitrification and denitrification can be achieved by installing ZeeLung cassettes in an anoxic zone.