Effect of the hydrothermal carbonization temperature on the conversion of process water produced from food waste in a mesophilic UASB digester

The conversion of process water (PW) produced during the hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of organic waste by anaerobic digestion (AD) offers the opportunity to reduce the organic load of this aqueous phase and increase the overall energy yield of the process. The AD of PW produced at two different temperatures (180?C and 240?C) in up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket digesters was carried out to determine the effect of HTC temperature on AD performance and the associated microbial communities.