the temperature of slaughterhouse effluent appears to vary significantly worldwide. in europe, it is frequently cool (20'C), in contrast to australian effluent, which is routinely 30-35'C, but can be evenhotter in subtropical areas. this can be a significant issue in the choice and economics of wastewatwr treatment operations (i.e. high-rate anaerobie sys-teams; nitrificaion), since biological systems typically perform considerably faster at highter temperratures (37'C) ; conversely, fat emulsification at the hotter temperatures causes substantial difficultries, especially in intensive-treatment systems, such as activated-sludge plants.