Microcalorimetry was used for monitoring anaerobic digestion processes of h
eavily polluted industrial waste waters (from cheese industry, distilleries
, yeast plant). Interpreting the thermal power-time curves by HPLC, some su
b-processes in batch cultures were tentatively identified as acidogenic, ac
etogenic and methanogenic. Processes underlying power-time curves up to 10
h were different for different wastes. In the case of cheese whey and disti
llery waste it was acidogenesis, in the case of sulfate containing waste -
presumably reduction of sulfates. The effect of Biotreat 100 (BimKemi Eesti
Ltd.), a preparation for removing H2S from waste water, was observed for t
hese processes.