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Metrics details Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are stable chemicals used in various applications PFAS exposure has been associated with lower birth weight and immunological effects in children and limited evidence further suggests adverse neurodevelopmental effects Previous studies show that PFAS cross the placental barrier during pregnancy leading to prenatal exposure of the fetus Research on the transplacental transfer efficiency (TTE) of PFAS in highly exposed populations is lacking This study aimed to estimate the TTE of eight PFAS and three perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) isomers in a birth cohort with a wide range of PFAS exposures and to investigate if maternal exposure level impacted the estimated TTE most of whom had been exposed to PFAS-contaminated municipal drinking water were recruited between 2015 and 2020 after the end of exposure We collected maternal serum samples during pregnancy and at delivery Serum samples were analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) TTE was estimated as the ratio of the PFAS concentration in cord serum to maternal serum We used generalized additive mixed models accounting for maternal characteristics to assess if maternal exposure level (i.e. The study included 200 dyads with matched cord and maternal serum samples The exposure profile was dominated by perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) and PFOS We observed the highest overall transfer efficiency for PFHxS (median TTE: 0.68) and the lowest for the n-PFOS isomer (median TTE: 0.33) Higher TTEs were observed for PFHxS and PFOS (total and isomers) in background-exposed dyads In a birth cohort with a wide range of exposures to primarily PFOS and PFHxS from contaminated drinking water we found that the transplacental transfer efficiencies (TTE) of eight PFAS and three PFOS isomers were of considerable magnitude The highest TTE were observed for PFOA and PFHxS and for branched PFOS isomers compared with linear Although we observed slightly lower TTE in mother-child dyads with high and intermediate exposures compared with dyads with background levels of exposure the considerable TTE in highly exposed mothers implies high absolute prenatal exposure in children in contaminated areas These compounds have been used frequently since the 1950s which has led to global environmental contamination we estimated the TTE of eight PFAS compounds and three PFOS isomers in the Ronneby Mother-Child Cohort and assessed whether maternal exposure level modified the TTE all pregnant women in Ronneby were invited by their midwife to participate 35 pregnant women from Karlshamn were also enrolled to ensure enough participants with background levels of exposure 263 pregnant women between 18 and 43 years of age were recruited at their antenatal clinic A venous maternal blood sample (2 × 5 mL) was collected during pregnancy (median gestational week 29 IQR 25 – 33) at a routine visit to the antenatal clinic Umbilical cord blood (5–10 mL) and maternal blood (2 × 5 mL) were collected at the maternity ward at Blekinge Hospital at delivery All blood samples were centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 10 min within 12 h from the collection to separate serum Serum samples were frozen to –70 °C before cold chain transport to our laboratory at Occupational and Environmental Medicine at Lund University All samples were thereafter stored at –80 °C until analysis 25 µl serum samples were diluted with 25 µl water added with isotopically labeled internal standards for all but PFPeS and PFHpS (Wellington Laboratories Guelph and shaken vigorously for 30 min to precipitate proteins and centrifuged The matched serum samples from each mother-child dyad were analyzed in 96-well plates in the same batch PFOS was separated into linear PFOS (n-PFOS) and three separate isomer peaks 2m-PFOS and 6m-PFOS could not be separated and the sum of perfluoro-2/6-methylheptanesulfonate (2/6m-PFOS) was evaluated using a calibration curve of 6m-PFOS and therefore the sum of perfluoro-3/4/5-methylheptanesulfonate (3/4/5m-PFOS) was evaluated using a calibration curve for 5m-PFOS The isomer perfluoro-1-methylheptanesulfonate (1m-PFOS) was omitted from further analysis because of suspected interferences The limit of quantification (LOQ) was defined as ten times the standard deviation of the concentrations in chemical blank samples and was 0.1 ng/mL for all PFAS. We estimated between-run precision using four quality control (QC) samples and between-batch precision by comparing duplicate samples for 25% of the samples above LOQ (Table S1) Details of the method are presented in the Supplementary Information The laboratory participated successfully in the HBM4EU QA/QC program for PFAS analysis and participates bi-annually in the German External Quality Assessment Scheme (G-EQUAS) coordinated by the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg A certificate is included in the Supplementary Information We used Spearman’s rank correlation to assess bivariate correlations between each PFAS in maternal and cord serum We calculated the TTE of each PFAS compound and PFOS isomer as the ratio of cord serum concentration to maternal serum concentrations for compounds above the LOQ in at least 30% of the maternal and cord samples: \({TTE}=\frac{{{Conc}}_{{cord}}}{{{Conc}}_{{maternal}}}\times 100\) To investigate whether TTEmp:c depended on maternal exposure level we stratified TTE by maternal exposure category for the AFFF-associated PFAS that were detectable in over 75% of cord blood samples (i.e. we evaluated whether TTEmp:c was associated with maternal exposure using generalized additive mixed models with a random intercept for mothers to control for within-mother correlation of mother-child dyads we estimated the association between TTEmp:c and exposure category both in unadjusted models and in models further adjusted for maternal characteristics that may potentially impact transplacental transfer (i.e. TTEmp:c values were log-transformed to improve the normality of residuals and continuous variables were modeled as non-linear variables using penalized thin-plate splines Models were limited to mothers with complete covariate information In the cohort, 208 dyads provided at least one maternal serum sample and a cord serum sample. After excluding twin pregnancies, preterm births, and incomplete observations, the final study sample consisted of 200 dyads (Fig. 1). Flow chart describing the study sample Of the 189 women with a pregnancy serum sample 113 were in the intermediate exposure category and 38 were categorized as having background exposure The sociodemographic characteristics of the high and intermediate exposure categories were similar to the category with background exposure (Table 1) except that the highly exposed category had a higher proportion of primiparous women As a result of the study recruitment process the highly exposed category also had a larger proportion of deliveries in the early recruitment period In the high- and intermediate-exposed category women were more often smokers compared with the background-exposed category No highly exposed participants received antenatal care in Karlshamn The concentrations of the PFAS with a quantification rate of above 30% LOQ are presented in Table 2 and PFTrDA were analyzed but not quantified as the levels were not discernible and they were therefore not further assessed PFHpA was quantified in less than 8% of the serum samples In both maternal and cord serum, PFHxS concentrations were significantly correlated with the concentrations of other AFFF-related compounds including PFHpS and total PFOS (Fig. S2) Some PFAS compounds were strongly correlated between pregnancy and cord serum measurements An outlier TTE value for PFHxS (10.9) is outside the limit of the figure TTEs were consistently higher for all compounds when estimated from maternal serum concentrations at delivery compared with maternal serum concentrations in pregnancy (Table 4) the estimated TTEmp:c for PFHxS was 54.2 (95% CI: 61.3–45.9) percent lower in the high exposure category compared to the background exposure category We assessed the TTE of nine PFAS and three PFOS isomers as the ratio between concentrations in umbilical cord serum and maternal serum in a birth cohort with a wide range of exposures to AFFF from contaminated drinking water in Ronneby Most previous research has studied populations exposed to substantially lower PFAS concentrations The exposure scenario in Ronneby offers a unique setting to investigate transfer properties at higher levels of exposure which have a higher relative impact at lower concentrations and by the limited number of samples above the LOQ PFHxS had the highest overall TTE among PFSA and PFOA had the highest overall TTE among PFCA PFOA had the highest median TTE of all compounds in the intermediate and highly exposed categories This suggests that it is mainly the unbound PFAS fraction that is transferred across the placenta through passive transport The concern primarily relates to serum samples in the low-exposure range where it may cause systematic measurement errors The relative error is smaller and of less concern for the interpretation of results at higher exposure levels as the TTEs for PFHxS and total PFOS and its isomers showed less variability in the intermediate- and high- exposure categories It would be beneficial to use a standardized sampling protocol for both maternal and umbilical cord serum for assessing the TTE future studies should always report the time of sampling and variation in gestational stage at sampling should be considered when comparing results from different studies This is the first study of PFAS TTE in a highly exposed population The exposure contrasts in the Ronneby Mother-Child Cohort allowed us to assess TTE at different exposure levels We provided all the sampling material used for sample collections where all sample tubes were from the same batch and all samples were analyzed in pairs to limit the risk of systematic bias in the chemical analysis One limitation of was the variation in gestational stage at pregnancy sampling Most mothers in the background-exposed category were sampled in the third trimester when maternal serum PFAS concentrations are generally lower which likely explains the higher TTE estimates in this category When TTE is applied to understand the extent of prenatal exposure it is preferable to use serum samples collected as early as possible in pregnancy to reflect maternal exposure levels at conception the most standardized sampling time is at delivery and TTE estimates based on maternal delivery serum may be best suited for comparison between studies The TTE of PFAS in matched maternal-cord serum samples from the Ronneby Mother-Child Cohort covering a wide range of PFAS exposure dominated by PFHxS and PFOS showed considerable transplacental transfer of most PFAS The highest TTEs were observed for PFOA and PFHxS Although we observed lower TTEs in the high- and intermediate-exposure categories compared with the background-exposure category the considerable TTE in highly exposed mothers implies high absolute fetal exposure Further research is warranted to clarify the consequences of such high exposure during pregnancy for children in PFAS hotspots The data contains sensitive personal data and cannot be shared Kissa E Fluorinated surfactants and repellents and drinking water in Sweden by perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) Fate and redistribution of perfluoroalkyl acids through AFFF-impacted groundwater Environmental levels and distribution of structural isomers of perfluoroalkyl acids after aqueous fire-fighting foam (AFFF) contamination Serum half-lives for short- and long-chain perfluoroalkyl acids after ceasing exposure from drinking water contaminated by firefighting foam Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) exposure assessment in a community exposed to contaminated drinking water Serum levels of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in adolescents and young adults exposed to contaminated drinking water in the Veneto Region Italy: a cross-sectional study based on a health surveillance program Influence of contaminated drinking water on perfluoroalkyl acid levels in human serum - a case study from Uppsala Elevated levels of PFOS and PFHxS in firefighters exposed to aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) Serum perfluoroalkyl substances in residents following long-term drinking water contamination from firefighting foam in Ronneby The transplacental transfer efficiency of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): a first meta-analysis Distribution of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances in matched samples from pregnant women and carbon chain length related maternal transfer Transplacental exposure of neonates to perfluorooctanesulfonate and perfluorooctanoate: a pilot study A critical review on transplacental transfer of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances: prenatal exposure levels Prenatal exposure and transplacental transfer of perfluoroalkyl substance isomers in participants from the upper and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Isomer-specific binding affinity of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) to serum proteins High trans-placental transfer of perfluoroalkyl substances alternatives in the matched maternal-cord blood serum: evidence from a birth cohort study Transplacental transfer of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances identified in paired maternal and cord sera using suspect and nontarget screening Physico-chemical properties and gestational diabetes predict transplacental transfer and partitioning of perfluoroalkyl substances Isomer profiles of perfluorochemicals in matched maternal and house dust samples: manufacturing sources and transplacental transfer The occurrence of PFAS in human placenta and their binding abilities to human serum albumin and organic anion transporter 4 Contributions of drug transporters to blood-placental barrier Drug transporters in the human blood-placental barrier Novel chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonates and legacy per-/polyfluoroalkyl substances: placental transfer and relationship with serum albumin and glomerular filtration rate Prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and association between the placental transfer efficiencies and dissociation constant of serum proteins-PFAS complexes Isomer-specific transplacental transfer of perfluoroalkyl acids: results from a survey of paired maternal Transfer of perfluoroalkyl substances from mother to fetus in a Spanish birth cohort PFHxS and PFOA after end of exposure to contaminated drinking water Estimated transfer of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from maternal serum to breast milk in women highly exposed from contaminated drinking water: a study in the Ronneby Mother-Child Cohort of perfluoroalkyl acid (PFAA) concentrations in serum of Swedish adolescents Transplacental transfer of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs): differences between preterm and full-term deliveries and associations with placental transporter mRNA expression Simon Wood, Fabian Scheipl. gamm4: generalized additive mixed models using “mgcv” and “lme4”. 2009. https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=gamm4 and exorcise new and existing analytical interference Efficiency of maternal-fetal transfer of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances Prenatal exposure of PFAS in cohorts of pregnant women: identifying the critical windows of vulnerability and health implications Low transplacental transfer of PFASs in the small-for-gestational-age (SGA) new-borns: evidence from a Chinese birth cohort Determinants of maternal and fetal exposure and temporal trends of perfluorinated compounds Placental transfer of perfluorinated compounds is selective - a Norwegian Mother and Child sub-cohort study Endogenous high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry interferences and the case of perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) in human serum; are we overestimating exposure Determination of perfluorinated alkyl acid concentrations in human serum and milk standard reference materials Simultaneous characterization of perfluoroalkyl carboxylate and sulfonamide isomers by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry Serum levels of perfluoroalkyl compounds in human maternal and umbilical cord blood samples Download references a Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development [grants 216-2014-1709 (to KJ) the Crafoord Foundation [grants 20200509 and 20210546 (to CN)] and the Royal Physiographic Society of Lund [year 2020 (to CN)] Appreciation is expressed to the study participants for their time and donation of samples We would like to thank the midwives in Ronneby and Karlshamn for their assistance with recruitment and sample collection and research assistants Magdalena Lewandowski and Anna Larsson for administrative support The study was financially supported by the Swedish Research Council for the Environment; Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning; Formas [2014-01709; 2017-00896; 2019-02344]; the Crafoord Foundation [20200509] the Royal Physiographic Society of Lund [2020-41287] and in-kind funding from Lund University and the University of Gothenburg Open access funding provided by Lund University These authors contributed equally: Erika Norén Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine School of Public Health and Community Medicine Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The authors declare no competing interests The study was approved by the Regional Ethical Review Board in Lund (ref and all participants provided informed consent Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41370-025-00758-2 Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article CVC is a leading global private markets manager focused on private equity credit and infrastructure with a global network of 30 local offices and €200 billion of assets under management CVC has seven complementary strategies across private equity credit and infrastructure through which we invest on behalf of pension funds and other leading institutions CVC's PE strategies are invested in over 140 companies worldwide A systematic approach to creating sustainable value starts by investing in fundamentally sound well-managed businesses which creates a diversified portfolio with approximately €200 billion of assets under management and a history of creating sustainable value over more than 40 years The latest news and insights from around the CVC network CVC1 and Waldakt2 (together the "Consortium") acting through Ronneby UK Limited3 (the "Bidder") announced a recommended public offer to the shareholders of Resurs Holding AB (publ) ("Resurs") to tender all shares in Resurs to the Bidder at a price of SEK 23.50 in cash per share (the "Offer") the Bidder declared the Offer unconditional and announced that it would complete the Offer and acquire all shares in Resurs that have been tendered in the Offer the Bidder extended the acceptance period for the Offer one last time until 4 October 2024 During this final extension of the acceptance period the Offer was accepted by such extent that the Bidder will become the owner of more than 87 percent of the shares in Resurs Settlement for shares tendered in the Offer during the final extension of the acceptance period is expected to be initiated on or 15 October 2024 We are pleased to have received the support of the majority of shareholders in Resurs including the additional shareholders who tendered their shares in the last few weeks Now that the acceptance period is closed we are looking forward to joining the Board and beginning the Company’s transformation journey "We are pleased to have received the support of the majority of shareholders in Resurs Now that the acceptance period is closed we are looking forward to joining the Board and beginning the Company’s transformation journey We recognise this will be a multi-year transformation with significant investments required and impacting the Company’s financial results and cash flows and are prepared and focused on supporting the management team on this journey." The shares tendered in the Offer at the end of the initial acceptance period (which ended on 30 August 2024) amounted to in aggregate 101,361,152 shares in Resurs corresponding to approximately 51 percent of the share capital and votes in Resurs Together with the 57,885,556 shares in Resurs already held and controlled by Waldakt corresponding to approximately 29 percent of the share capital and votes in Resurs the Bidder's shareholding in Resurs amounted to in aggregate 159,246,708 shares in Resurs corresponding to approximately 80 percent of the share capital and votes in Resurs The shares tendered in the Offer during the extended acceptance period (which ended on 13 September 2024) amounted to in aggregate 5,569,196 shares in Resurs corresponding to approximately 3 percent of the share capital and votes in Resurs the Bidder announced that the Bidder had acquired 6,192,276 shares in Resurs outside the Offer since the announcement of the outcome of the Offer on 3 September 2024 The shares tendered in the Offer during the final extension of the acceptance period amount to in aggregate 1,292,909 shares in Resurs corresponding to approximately 1 percent of the share capital and votes in Resurs the Bidder has acquired an additional 2,287,329 shares in Resurs outside the Offer since the announcement of the final extension press release on 16 September 2024 No acquisitions have been made at a price exceeding the price in the Offer upon settlement for the shares that were tendered in the Offer during the final extended acceptance period that ended on 4 October 2024 the total number of shares in Resurs held by the Bidder will amount to 174,588,553 shares corresponding to approximately 87 percent of the share capital and votes in Resurs If the Bidder acquires shares representing more than 90 percent of the total number of shares in Resurs the Bidder intends to commence compulsory redemption proceedings under the Swedish Companies Act (2005:551) (Sw aktiebolagslagen (2005:551)) to acquire all remaining shares in Resurs and promote a delisting of Resurs' shares from Nasdaq Stockholm Information about the Offer is made available at www.leading-specialty-finance.com Adam Makkonen, Ronneby UK Limited+46 (0)703 166 375[email protected] Carsten Huwendiek, Managing Director - Global Head, Marketing & Communications, CVC[email protected] Nick Board, Director of Communications, CVC+44(0) 7827 804061[email protected] For administrative questions regarding the Offer please contact your bank or the nominee registered as holder of your shares The information in this press release was submitted for publication by the Bidder in accordance with the Takeover Rules for Nasdaq Stockholm on 7 October 2024 at 07.30 (CEST) 1 "CVC" refers to CVC Advisers International S.à r.l (acting through CVC Advisers International Svenska filial) and its affiliates from time to time together with Clear Vision Capital Fund SICAV FIS S.A and each of its subsidiaries from time to time "CVC Funds" refers to funds or vehicles advised and/or managed by CVC a Swedish private limited liability company with corporate registration number 556315-7253 3 "Ronneby UK Limited" refers to a newly formed English private limited company with company number 15750820 the Bidder is indirectly co-owned by the members of the Consortium This press release has been published in Swedish and English In the event of any discrepancy in content between the two language versions Singapore or South Africa or in any other jurisdiction where such offer would be prohibited by applicable law pursuant to legislation restrictions and regulations in the relevant jurisdiction by use of mail or any other communication means or instrumentality (including telephone and the Internet) of interstate or foreign commerce or of any facility of national securities exchange or other trading venue and the Offer cannot be accepted by any such use or by such means this press release or any documentation relating to the Offer are not being and should not be sent mailed or otherwise distributed or forwarded in or into Australia sent to shareholders with registered addresses in Australia dealers and other nominees holding shares for persons in Australia Singapore or South Africa must not forward this press release or any other document received in connection with the Offer to such persons the information and documents contained in this press release are not being made and have not been approved by an "authorised person" for the purposes of section 21 of the UK Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (the "FSMA") The communication of the information and documents contained in this press release is exempt from the restriction on financial promotions under section 21 of the FSMA under article 62 (sale of a body corporate) of The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 on the basis that it is a communication by or on behalf of a body corporate which relates to a transaction to acquire shares in a body corporate and the object of the transaction may reasonably be regarded as being the acquisition of day to day control of the affairs of that body corporate Statements in this press release relating to future status or circumstances including statements regarding future performance growth and other trend projections and other benefits of the Offer be identified by the use of words such as "anticipates" forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future There can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements due to many factors many of which are outside the control of the Bidder and Resurs Any such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and the Bidder has no obligation (and undertakes no such obligation) to update or revise any of them except for in accordance with applicable laws and regulations Carnegie is acting for the Bidder and no one else in connection with the Offer and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Bidder for providing the protections afforded to clients of Carnegie or for giving advice in connection with the Offer or any matter referred to herein The Offer described in this press release is made for the issued and outstanding shares of Resurs and is subject to Swedish disclosure and procedural requirements which are different from those of the United States The shares of Resurs are not listed on a U.S Resurs is not subject to periodic reporting requirements of the U.S Exchange Act") and is not required to file any reports with the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) The Offer is made in the United States pursuant to Section 14(3) of the U.S Exchange Act and Regulation 14E thereunder subject to exemptions provided by Rule 14d-1(c) under the U.S Exchange Act for a Tier 1 tender offer (“Tier I Exemption”) and otherwise in compliance with the disclosure and procedural requirements of Swedish law including with respect to withdrawal rights settlement procedures (including as regards to the time when payment of the consideration is rendered) and waivers of conditions which are different from legal requirements or customary practices in relation to U.S The offeror’s ability to waive the conditions to the Offer (both during and after the end of the acceptance period) and the shareholders’ ability to withdraw their acceptances are not the same under a tender offer governed by Swedish law as under a tender offer governed by U.S Holders of the shares in Resurs domiciled in the United States (the "U.S Holders") are encouraged to consult with their own advisors regarding the Offer Resurs' financial statements and all financial information included herein or any other documents relating to the Offer have been or will be prepared in accordance with IFRS and may not be comparable to the financial statements or financial information of companies in the United States or other companies whose financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S Holders on the same terms and conditions as those made to all other shareholders of Resurs to whom an offer is made Holders on a basis comparable to the method pursuant to which such documents are provided to Resurs' other shareholders Holders in accordance with the applicable U.S Holders and thus will not give rise to claims on the part of any other person Holders should consider that the price for the Offer is being paid in SEK and that no adjustment will be made based on any changes in the exchange rate It may be difficult for Resurs' shareholders to enforce their rights and any claims they may have arising under the U.S federal or U.S state securities laws in connection with the Offer since Resurs and the Bidder are located in countries other than the United States and some or all of their officers and directors may be residents of countries other than the United States Resurs' shareholders may not be able to sue Resurs or the Bidder or their respective officers or directors in a non-U.S it may be difficult to compel Resurs or the Bidder and/or their respective affiliates to subject themselves to the jurisdiction or judgment of a U.S To the extent permissible under applicable law and regulations the Bidder and its affiliates or its brokers and its brokers' affiliates (acting as agents for the Bidder or its affiliates as applicable) may from time to time and during the pendency of the Offer directly or indirectly purchase or arrange to purchase shares of Resurs outside the United States or any securities that are convertible into exchangeable for or exercisable for such shares These purchases may occur either in the open market at prevailing prices or in private transactions at negotiated prices and information about such purchases will be disclosed by means of a press release or other means reasonably calculated to inform U.S the financial advisors to the Bidder may also engage in ordinary course trading activities in securities of Resurs which may include purchases or arrangements to purchase such securities as long as such purchases or arrangements are in compliance with the applicable law Any information about such purchases will be announced in Swedish and in a non-binding English translation available to the U.S Holders through relevant electronic media if such announcement is required under applicable Swedish or U.S The receipt of cash pursuant to the Offer by a U.S Holder may be a taxable transaction for U.S federal income tax purposes and under applicable U.S Each shareholder is urged to consult an independent professional adviser regarding the tax consequences of accepting the Offer Neither the Bidder nor any of its affiliates and their respective directors employees or agents or any other person acting on their behalf in connection with the Offer shall be responsible for any tax effects or liabilities resulting from acceptance of this Offer STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE OFFER PASSED ANY COMMENTS UPON THE MERITS OR FAIRNESS OF THE OFFER PASSED ANY COMMENT UPON THE ADEQUACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THIS PRESS RELEASE OR PASSED ANY COMMENT ON WHETHER THE CONTENT IN THIS PRESS RELEASE IS CORRECT OR COMPLETE ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENCE IN THE UNITED STATES The latest news from around the CVC network Dream Games announces strategic investment by CVC to support next chapter of growth and continued global leadership in mobile games Grupo GSH’S next stage of growth backed by leading global investor CVC John Kelleher joins CVC as a Managing Partner Mehiläinen agrees the acquisitions of Regina Maria and MediGroup and welcomes Hellman & Friedman as a new shareholder alongside CVC Jean-Pierre Saad joins CVC as a Managing Partner Nordic Capital and ADIA complete acquisition of Hargreaves Lansdown to accelerate and enhance its transformation plan and deliver on its growth potential Piraeus Bank to acquire Ethniki Insurance from CVC Multiply Group signs landmark investment with CVC and PAI Partners to secure a controlling stake (67.91%) in Tendam with the transaction expected to double Multiply’s operational EBITDA post-consolidation PureHealth agrees to acquire Majority Stake in Hellenic Healthcare Group from funds managed by CVC Capital Partners and Management in EUR 2.2 Billion Transaction CVC Completes Acquisition of Therakos from Mallinckrodt CVC joins KKR in the acquisition of Superstruct Entertainment Copyright © 2025 CVC Capital Partners plc and adjusted to reflect the acquisition of DIF Capital Partners on 1 July 2024 A 31-year-old woman died Wednesday after she lost control of her vehicle and was hit by another According to the Benton County Sheriff’s Office authorities were called to a vehicle crash around 3:50 p.m about a half mile south of Duelm Road Southeast The sheriff’s office says a Buick Enclave had been driving south on Ronneby Road while a Chevrolet Cobalt was traveling north a patch of ice and snow caused the Cobalt to lose traction and slide into the southbound lane The Enclave struck the Cobalt just as it turned sideways into the lane and struck the broadside of the vehicle was trapped in her vehicle with life-threatening injuries The 43-year-old driver of the Enclave and an 8-year-old passenger suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to the hospital Any person with disabilities who needs help accessing the content of the FCC Public File may contact KSTP via our online form or call 651-646-5555 An accident in Glendorado Township sent a Foley woman to St Friday at the intersection of Highway 95 and Ronneby Avenue Northeast in Glendorado Township in Benton County Minnesota State Patrol states a Jeep Compass was driving on Ronneby Avenue Northeast when it collided with a Ford F350 driving east on Highway 95 Celebrate New Year’s Eve in St. Cloud: Concerts, comedy, family-friendly fireworks, more Cloud Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries Road conditions were dry at the time of the incident BENTON COUNTY — A Milaca woman was killed in a two-vehicle crash in Benton County on Wednesday according to a news release from the Benton County Sheriff’s Office That location is about 18 miles east of St Deputies responded to the crash at about 3:50 p.m Nieman’s vehicle lost traction and began sliding on the roadway Nieman’s vehicle turned sideways across the southbound lane of traffic and was struck broadside by Henry’s vehicle Nieman was found trapped within her vehicle with life-threatening injuries first responders began life-saving measures Henry and an 8-year-old passenger suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were treated at the scene before being taken to CentraCare — St Investigating deputies found no signs of impairment in either driver The Benton County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Minnesota State Patrol North Memorial Ambulance and Benton County Public Works Every small town has a story and this is the story of Ronneby.  Ronneby is an unincorporated community in Maywood Township in Benton County 2 miles east of Foley on Highway 23.  According to the 2010 census Ronneby had 67 residents but the last sign that was up in 2008 in Ronneby indicated they had 37 residents To help tell the story of Ronneby I was joined by Mary Ostby the Executive Director from the Benton County Historical Society and longtime Ronneby resident former Mayor and former Benton County Commissioner Duane Walter Grant.  Ostby says the town grew quickly and at that point was bigger than Foley as Foley was just starting up in 1900.  She indicates people started moving into Ronneby in 1890 and were largely immigrants with Scandinavian heritage.  The name Ronneby is from Sweden.  Ostby says Maywood Township in Benton County is very Danish Norwegian and Swedish.  She says they settled there because the land was similar to their home country Francis were towns that were plated in 1896 but the town of St Francis never happened because nothing was ever built there.  That land was plated just east of the St Francis River.  Ronneby is to the west of the river.  Ostby indicates the road which later became Highway 23 and the Great Northern Railroad going through the community of Ronneby really helped their early growth Ronneby had lots of the businesses in their community including a post office and a school when it started.  Ronneby later added a bar/restaurant and used car dealership.  Ostby says many of the businesses in Ronneby were recruited to leave for Foley and ultimately some did which led to a shift in population in the two communities Ostby says the railroad needed a large water tower and both Ronneby and Foley were interested in supplying that water tower.  Foley ended up getting the water tower which contributed to Foley's growth and Ronneby's decline Ronneby today doesn't have a post office or a sign indicating its name but both Ostby and Duane Walter say the community is still known as Ronneby.  Ronneby does have Gethsemane Lutheran Church who recently celebrated a 150 year Anniversary Goodfellas Bar and Grill and Foley Auto Glass.  Walter speaks highly of Goodfellas and says they hold a yearly event which brings the community together.  In additional to the political positions Walter held in Ronneby and Benton County he also played in a band called "Big D and the Country Stooges" If you'd like to learn more about Ronneby you can listen to my conversations with Mary Ostby and Duane Walter below Every small town has a story and this is the story of Ronneby. Ronneby is an unincorporated community in Maywood Township in Benton County 2 miles east of Foley on Highway 23.\nRead More - Weight: 6 lbs 9 oz- Length: 36\"\n- Location: Saint Croix River - Stillwater\n- Record set by Matthew R Swedavia continues strengthen its position as a global leader in aviation’s decarbonisation with Stockholm Arlanda Airport and Ronneby Airport achieving Level 5 the highest level in the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme four of Swedavia’s ten airports now hold the highest level of climate certification following Göteborg Landvetter Airport and Malmö Airport which reached Level 5 in December 2023 Swedavia’s remaining six airports are striving to reach the top certification level by 2026 Swedavia became fossil-free in its own airport operations at all ten airports as early as 2020 making it the first airport operator in the world to achieve this all ground operations at Swedavia’s airports that are carried out by other operators will also be made fossil-free through the partnership plan that has been developed which involves all operators at the airports signing an agreement with Swedavia stipulating a focus on phasing out fossil fuels from their operations The long-term goal is for domestic flights to be fossil-free by 2030 and for international flights to be fossil-free by 2045 in line with the Swedish aviation industry’s joint roadmap within the framework of Fossil-Free Sweden The Level 5 certification of Stockholm Arlanda Airport and Ronneby Airport means that both the largest and the smallest of Swedavia’s airports are now certified at the highest level The certification of Stockholm Arlanda and Ronneby Airports at Level 5 signifies that Swedavia has successfully taken the final steps to eliminate fossil fuels at all levels at these two airports Stockholm Arlanda was the first airport within the Airport Carbon Accreditation framework to achieve net zero in 2009 Swedavia’s ambition within the Airport Carbon Accreditation framework is for three further airports – Kiruna Airport Visby Airport and Åre Östersund Airport – to be certified to Level 5 in the spring of 2025 Read more about the Airport Carbon Accreditation here: Home - Airport Carbon Accreditation Theodoros Papachristou, Airport Carbon Accreditation Communications Coordinator on +32 2 552 09 87 or at theodoros.papachristou@aci-europe.org An annual event is returning to GoodFella's Bar and Grill in Ronneby Come for the food,Come for the music,Come for the games,Just come and party with us and help celebrate things getting back to normal in Ronneby It’s about time we get to have our outdoor party… The 13th Annual Testicle Festival is an all-day event on Saturday September 17th at GoodFella's featuring live music and tournaments and of course deep-fried testicles available for those adventurous eaters (There is also a limited menu for those with a more refined palette.) The event itself was dreamed up by the kitchen manager at GoodFella's years ago when they went to a similar event in a different state. The owner was reluctant to try it initially but did it anyway and people liked it so it has been happening ever since To stay up to date with the latest on the 13th Annual Testicle Festival at GoodFella's be sure to follow the event on Facebook. The 13th Annual Testicle Festival is an all-day event on Saturday, September 17th at GoodFella's featuring live music and tournaments.\nRead More The 13th Annual Testicle Festival is an all-day event on Saturday To stay up to date with the latest on the 13th Annual Testicle Festival at GoodFella's be sure to follow the event on Facebook. Paris-headquartered Tarkett is one of the world’s largest diverse flooring suppliers in addition to its Ronneby factory in Blekinge in southern Sweden Ronneby produces PVC flooring mostly for education The plant experienced an upswing in demand during the Covid-19 pandemic supplying flooring to a number of temporary hospitals Tarkett set out to achieve a more efficient and better physical environment for its plant operators as part of its Industy 4.0 digitalization program Six existing control rooms at Ronneby were windowless spaces with no daylight Tarkett has combined all these into a newly built centralized control room that offers a clean modern space with a pleasant ambience and sea views Tarkett reflects the global trend  towards consolidating control operations in a single space instead of many smaller rooms This provides better process overview and enhanced environment for operators As 40% of today’s operators will have retired within five years Tarkett also saw the  initiative as an important way to attract young skilled personnel in future.Tarkett wanted to increase the physical safety of technicians The company is set to invest even more on security and safety in the near future Although Tarkett designed the new control room mostly inhouse the company did benefit from a workshop at ABB’s control room base in Borås ABB equipped the control room with two latest- generation i3 Extended Operators Workplaces (EOWs) running ABB’s System 800xA control  solution installed in this area of the plant The EOW set-up features three large display screens giving an instant overview of all processes ABB EOWs provide unparalleled ergonomics that  allows all human factors aspects to be adjusted in order to enhance alertness fast response time in case of events and overall productivity The furniture features personal tags that remember individual preferences Tarkett has also invested in safety solutions from ABB Jokab Safety to provide protection for  personnel from machinery that in the past was open This program is  ongoing across the entire plant and includes  physical fencing with technicians no longer needing to  approach machines such as gears and motors  directly ABB is also providing an ongoing Security Update Service as part of Tarkett’s expanded cyber-security protection Tarkett opted for the ABB EOWs based on quality and performance but has already worked with ABB on distributed control for many years Ronneby  recently upgraded from version 5 to the latest  version 6 of System 800xA ABB also supplied a  custom-made control solution for the most  sensitive area of the plant Remaining old controllers will be replaced in time Feedback from Tarkett indicates that it is very  satisfied with ABB’s smooth execution of the  project on schedule “It’s too soon to talk about financial savings but it is good to have started our digital automation journey We certainly expect to gain operational efficiencies from the EOWs as well as closer cooperation between  operators and in overall plant communications,” said Ted Evaldsson He adds that any scepticism on the part of operators to the EOWs disappeared very quickly They also hope the new control room will help in  recruiting skilled young operators to the industry ABB's website uses cookies. By staying here you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn more I agree RONNEBY (WJON News) -- Today there's nothing left of it but longtime Benton County residents might remember the old Ronneby Kiln The structure stood along Highway 23 and was built in 1900 Benton County Historical Society Executive Director Mary Ostby says at that time Ronneby was bigger than Foley You had that whole area in the lumber business.  They had scrap wood that wasn't being used for construction or railroad ties or any use for it.  So The kiln turned that scrap lumber into charcoal You might be familiar with the old irons which they used to fill with little pieces of coal which allowed them to heat up to iron clothes.  They also had sled heaters that you could put your feet on that also used charcoal.  There were many uses at that time Ostby says they also shipped the charcoal out on the trains and it was used commercially in the iron and steel industries The Ronneby Kiln was the only commercial coal kiln outside of the Twin Cities its heyday only lasted for about 15 years before new fuel sources started being used The kiln primarily sat empty after that with a brief period as a pig barn In 1982 it was listed on the National Historical Registry but the owner wasn't interested in preserving it and it fell into disrepair Once a month Ostby is on the News @ Noon Show talking about the forgotten history of Benton County Today there's nothing left of it but longtime Benton County residents might remember the old Ronneby Kiln.\nRead More RONNEBY (WJON News) -- Today there's nothing left of it but longtime Benton County residents might remember the old Ronneby Kiln RONNEBY -- Most of us know where Ronneby is in Benton County but did you know it actually started out called St When the railroad came through Ronneby the town swallowed up St The town grew rapidly with several businesses and for several years it boasted as being the biggest town in the county outside of Sauk Rapids the young upstart community of Foley just a few miles away wasn't having any of that and slowly started luring business owners from Ronneby to their community You see businesses moving they are recruiting the businesses from Ronneby to come to Foley.  One of the businesses that was recruited was the Parkway dance hall which eventually moved to Foley and is today Mr Ostby says Foley finally surpassed Ronneby in size and significance around about 1920 but by 1973 the town's post office had closed In 2008 the residents voted to dissolve the community and is now officially part of Maywood Township Once a month Ostby is on the News @ Noon Show on WJON talking about the forgotten history of Benton County Most of us know where Ronneby is in Benton County, but did you know it actually started out called St. Francis? Or, at least part of it did.\nRead More MAYWOOD TOWNSHIP (WJON News) -- The two women who died in a UTV crash over the weekend have been identified The Midwest Medical Examiner's Office has identified the driver of the UTV as 44-year-old Jamie Jendro of Princeton and the passenger as 34-year-old Lindsay Karsky of Oak Park At about 2:20 p.m. on Saturday the Benton County Sheriff's Office received a call about a crash between a pickup and UTV near Foley Officers arrived on the scene to find a pickup in the ditch and a UTV nearby fully engulfed in flames The Sheriff's Office says witnesses had already pulled the two women from the UTV and they were pronounced dead at the scene 57-year-old Todd Henke of Foley suffered minor injuries from the crash and from trying to help the UTV victims Based on witness reports the Sheriff's Office discovered Henke was going north on Ronneby Road while the UTV was going down the middle of the road at high speeds and estimate the crash happened near the centerline The Sheriff's Office says the crash investigation is still ongoing Gallery Credit: Image Credit: Paul Shea/TSM Two women in the weekend fatal crash in Foley have been identified\nRead More MAYWOOD TOWNSHIP (WJON News) -- The two women who died in a UTV crash over the weekend have been identified At about 2:20 p.m. on Saturday The Benton County Sheriff's Office says the crash happened around 3:50 p.m with a Buick Enclave and a Chevy Cobalt colliding with lifesaving measures started when she was pulled clear The driver of the Buick, a 43-year-old Sauk Rapids woman and her 8-year-old passenger were taken to St. Cloud Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. "The roadway surface at the scene of the accident was covered in snow and ice due to the open terrain and gusting winds drifting snow across the roadway," the sheriff's office said, adding that it appears Nieman's vehicle lost traction and began sliding before being broadsided by the Buick. Neither driver was impaired at the time, police say. Note: The details provided in this story are based on law enforcement’s latest version of events, and may be subject to change. By Adam Uren is the head of Minnesota and Western Wisconsin news coverage for Bring Me The News a screening of the movie Sight and Sound says is the best movie ever made saying he'd killed the mother of his child which features a swimming beach and splash pad was a passenger in a car that crossed the centerline What happened to 'taking the waters' in Sweden Did it ever cure anything or was it just a way for the rich to mingle You know the adage to drink eight glasses of water a day This is because water is crucial to our health: It makes up about 60 percent of our body’s weight carries nutrients to cells and provides a moist environment for ear And of course the lack of water can lead to dehydration Today water is fashionable; we carry around water bottles and the brands we drink have become status symbols But the fact that water is important is nothing new Various forms of hydrotherapy existed in the ancient Egyptian often referred to as the Father of Western Medicine prescribed bathing in spring water for curing illness There was also a focus on hydrotherapy in China and Japan that even predates the Roman bath complexes when you take a sip from a bottle of Ramlösa Ronneby and Loka are a few of the many mineral water sources in Sweden around which fashionable health spas grew up in the early 18th century When I took a sip of Ramlösa mineral water I could clearly taste the iron in it — it tasted good and it made me wonder what happened to the old “taking the water” tradition in Sweden All those places where people gathered to take the cure — were they actually cured professor of history of ideas at Stockholm University In her book “Ett paradis på jorden” (2001) Mansén writes about the Swedish resort tradition She explains that the tradition took off with Sweden’s first spa resort which was founded by one of the country’s then most famous doctors and chemists who had studied the phenomenon on the continent Medevi was followed by several others in the early 18th century: Ramlösa And in the beginning “taking the waters” (or “dricka brunn” as it was known in Swedish) psychological problems and problems with indigestion,” says Mansén “But it’s hard to say whether the water itself cured anything and I have to admit the statistics from these resorts which are kept at Riksarkivet (the National Archives) in Stockholm Mansén explains that it can hardly have been the water alone (with its relatively small quantities of minerals and salts) that led to such enormous effects Doctors in the early 19th century were already pointing out other benefits of the resorts: The change of air perhaps access to better health care and the possibility that people were removed from their destructive home environments were also important components the resorts filled a number of needs—they meant vacation preventative care and a way to care for oneself all rolled into one experience “We oftentimes forget that also poor people came diaries and pictures we have from that time that describe the resorts often belong to the middle or upper class but there are also stories about how maids and farmhands were cured,” says Mansén “Some people came to recover after a difficult birth The stay at the resort was divided into semesters of four to six weeks; according to tradition that’s how long it took a cure to “take.” In the beginning one only drank the water to flush out the ailment but at the same time one also bathed in the water which in turn were good for the general hygiene “The most important persons at the resort were the doctor and the priest you had to register with the doctor to receive your prescription for your stay You also had to report the result to the doctor prior to leaving,” says Mansén It seems the resorts had a holistic view of humans and their health which at the time meant trips in a carriage walking in the adjoining park and arranged dances and balls this kind of restfulness is still alive in the many resorts and spas that exist today The tradition to “dricka brunn” died out sometime between World Wars 1 and 2 Mansén explains: “There were structural changes in society Add to that an accelerated medical specialization New medicines and treatments were introduced and people put their hope in experts rather than their family doctor There was also a change in how people viewed their spare time and it was no longer enough with a stroll in the park Turistföreningen (the Swedish Tourist Association) and Friluftsfrämjandet (the Swedish Outdoor Association) were successful in their campaigns for hiking trails and biking holidays It became more important to see as much as possible of Sweden than to remain a few weeks in the same place.” There’s a lot of interest in spas in Sweden today with newspapers full of ads selling a weekend at a spa And of course there’s a renewed interest in alternative medicine and natural remedies in general though the spas are more sophisticated and algae and seaweed treatments are often offered there’s always water involved to some degree Zahra Jafari and her 4-year-old daughter arrived in Sweden after fleeing Afghanistan on foot Their lives were threatened by the Taliban and ISIS "I came here for my daughter," Jafari says Temperatures hover around freezing outside but it's warm inside this university building that now serves as a migrant reception center in the southern Swedish town of Ronneby Migrants come in out of the cold to join Swedish volunteers who show up twice a week to help them fill out forms or study the language One of those volunteers is 77-year-old Mia Gustafsson She says the migrants are very eager to learn we have a very old population and it's very stimulating to get to know other cultures," she says her town of 30,000 people has taken in nearly 2,500 migrants — including 200 unaccompanied minors Refugees now make up nearly 12 percent of the population of this 18th century spa town It also has a university and strong IT sector Sweden has taken in more migrants than any other country in Europe the Parliament recently enacted a law mandating that all municipalities take in their share of migrants two families are gathered around the table learning Swedish words with Gustafsson They're from Afghanistan's Bamyan province Twenty-seven-year-old Zahra Jafari arrived in Sweden seven months ago with her 4-year-old daughter — on foot Her life was threatened by the Taliban and ISIS She says she decided to come to Sweden for her child's future "People say Sweden is very good for children," she says "So I'm coming to Sweden just for my daughter." Sweden has long had a generous refugee policy which includes a vast network of welfare benefits for asylum seekers But many say the recent numbers are straining the system Swedish officials talk about setting a limit which has taken in the most number of total migrants suspected to have been carried out by foreigners and perhaps migrants over the new year further dampened German enthusiasm for migrants I ask Swedish volunteer Margareta Waldolf if some people in Ronneby get upset by the number of migrants coming "People get scared and worried and think that it will be — that it will influence their life." Waldolf had a career teaching Swedish to foreigners as her country opened its doors to refugees she taught Argentines and Chileans fleeing military dictatorships She says Sweden has always absorbed its newcomers things may be more difficult — especially with the hundreds of unaccompanied minors She says some people fear an increase in crime They are kind of street children," she says retired engineer Kent Norman is poring over a book with a neatly dressed Syrian teenager And you have been here for how long?" he asks is helping Syrian teenager Mohamed Obai with language study "so the only thing you can do is to help them." Mohamed Obai talks about fleeing Syria with his parents to join a brother here And of how he is waiting for a place in the local school he is grateful for the instruction he's been getting from Norman Norman says there has been a lot of talk about the migrants coming to Sweden "So the only thing you can do is to help them Norman says he had his first Syrian meal with Obai's family last week And now he plans to invite them to dinner at his house Become an NPR sponsor Teacher Mohammad Abdualamir and two students Class has just ended at a community center in the southern Swedish town of Ronneby This is the first stop for refugees in the area They receive 60 hours of instruction on how to live in Sweden The courses cover such things as how to rent an apartment "It's basically how to live and survive in Sweden," says Henrik Lovgren And also what obligations you have towards society The classes are taught in the refugees' native languages by Swedes who originally came from the same countries who is from Iraq and has been in Sweden for eight years "They're really trying hard to live and be part of this community and be effective," Abdualamir says Sweden has long been a haven for those fleeing war and persecution the most per capita of any European country And it is working hard to integrate its newest residents Many aspects of Swedish life are a surprise for the refugees such as the way the elderly are cared for by the state Abdualamir says the refugees here were shocked by reports of sexual assaults in Germany over New Year's Eve "They're not interested in these problems," he says how to be positive in this community and thankful for all the services they're getting." the Swedish labor ministry is stepping up its efforts to integrate refugees into the job market With Sweden's population aging and in decline the government wants to turn the refugees into taxpayers as quickly as possible and the ones that are coming are mostly in productive ages which means that they have a long professional life ahead of them." Nilsson says many of the refugees are also well-educated it's taken too long for migrants to break into the workforce But changes are underway to speed things up But not everyone sees things in such a positive light Some polls from late last year showed the anti-immigration Sweden Democratic Party gaining support a columnist with the newspaper Svenska Dagbladet says more people are listening to the party because they see their country changing "The thing to understand with the migration crisis Every town in Sweden has their own migration problem I mean the apartments – there are no more apartments." the Knut Hahn high school now counts 150 refugees among its student body The refugees are put in special classes taught in Arabic until their Swedish gets good enough and then they are integrated into regular Swedish classes last September and began teaching himself Swedish as soon as he arrived to get ahead He thinks he'll soon be placed in classes with native Swedes "Everything is different [from] what we [are] used to it's easy to learn and it's easy to get it." Hamdan says the Swedish students are very welcoming the Swedish and refugee kids don't seem to be mixing Swedish senior Victor Mignot says there is goodwill but some of the cultural differences make it difficult Mohammad Abdualamir and one of his students "but it's hard with the language difficulties It's also hard because they are acting different in the society than the Swedish people And that can scare some people — like they talk really loud and I know that people get bothered by that." and it might take awhile before the two groups get used to each other Mission Statement: to assist the integration of foreign residents living in Spain and this is never more accurate than when you establish yourself as a foreign resident in a new country Being able to quickly familiarise yourself with the culture and customs can help ease the transition during a challenging time This is why Euro Weekly News makes it our mission to provide you with a free news resource in English that covers both regional and national Spanish news – anything that we feel you will benefit from knowing as you integrate into your new community and live your best life in Spain you can forget about translating articles from Spanish into awkward English that probably don’t make much sense Let us be your convenient and essential guide to all things that will likely affect you as a foreign resident living in Spain high levels of the health-hazardous chemicals PFAS were measured in the blood of thousands of residents of Kallinge in Blekinge Subsequent tests revealed that in December 2013 there were sky-high levels of PFAS in the drinking water of the small mining town located in Ronneby Municipality A lengthy legal process was launched which has run for many years but it is now expected to reach a conclusion in the very near future The Supreme Court verdict should finally determine whether the contaminated water drank by the victims entitles them to receive compensation or not ‘We know that the residents of Kallinge have been exposed to the substance But what proof requirements do you have the right to place on people who have been exposed to such dangerous substances for such a long time?’ ‘That question is super important’, stressed the specialist who has researched PFAS for a long time, reported svt.se Residents of Kallinge sued the municipal water company Ronneby Miljöteknik after the hazardous chemicals were found in their drinking supplies PFAS is a collective name for a range of chemicals which are linked to several serious diseases Studies have shown connections between PFAS and various forms of cancer A verdict by the District Court ruled that the residents had the right to claim for damages but the Court of Appeal subsequently overturned that verdict ‘This judgment will be precedential for several different types of environmental toxins It is an important part of consumer protection’ The foam used by the Armed Forces during fire drills since the mid-80s on the F17 air flotilla contains PFAS It was believed that this was the source of the contamination in the town’s drinking water supply Mattias Öberg suggested this was Sweden’s biggest environmental scandal of all time: ‘The permitted content of PFAS in drinking water is 90 nanograms per litre the new and significantly lower limit value of 4 nanograms began to apply Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox Euro Weekly News is the leading English language newspaper in Spain by delivering news with a social conscience we are proud to be the voice for the expat communities who now call Spain home With around half a million print readers a week and over 1.5 million web views per month EWN has the biggest readership of any English language newspaper in Spain The paper prints over 150 news stories a week with many hundreds more on the web – no one else even comes close Our publication has won numerous awards over the last 25 years including Best Free Newspaper of the Year (Premios AEEPP) Company of the Year (Costa del Sol Business Awards) and Collaboration with Foreigners honours (Mijas Town Hall) All of this comes at ZERO cost to our readers All our print and online content always has been and always will be FREE OF CHARGE Download our media pack in either English or Spanish The annual Forum is a major governance element of the Mission bringing together national It will also showcase regional initiatives on adaptation to climate change and will facilitate dialogue between the participants of the Forum Please indicate which event you plan to attend when registering for the Forum Find out more and register here You may not expect a researcher investigating the health risks of tattoos to have a tattoo herself “Most of our research team have tattoos,” reveals Christel Nielsen as she leads the way through the office building that has been aptly nicknamed ”The Bunker” in Astra Zeneca’s old premises in Lund is the department of occupational and environmental medicine Along with the study on the risks of tattoos she is studying the effects of PFAS pollution in Ronneby Many still have high levels of PFAS in their blood and a legal process is underway in which a group of victims has sued the municipality On the same day as Universitetsläraren meets Christel Nielsen The people who brought the action announce that they do not accept the Court of Appeal’s verdict in December last year to acquit the municipality They are now taking the case to the Supreme Court A key question in the legal process is whether the victims have an increased risk of ill health Can the high PFAS levels in their bodies be regarded as a personal injury There is still a lack of knowledge about how such high levels of exposure to these chemicals affect health and this is precisely what Christel Nielsen is researching and I think that increases the anxiety of those affected I think society has a responsibility to follow up and monitor the health of the people who drank this water.” Christel Nielsen received funding to investigate how PFAS affect the placenta function Placentas from Ronneby mothers who have given birth recently are already waiting in the freezer in the lab upstairs One thing we do know is that the chemicals affect the immune system that children with PFAS in their bodies respond less well to vaccines But does that mean that the children also run a greater risk than others of getting sick Nielsen has seen that new mothers with high levels of PFAS in their bodies find it more difficult to start breastfeeding and then breastfeed for a shorter period “We need to get this information out to people so that the mothers in Ronneby and in other PFAS-contaminated places can be given better breastfeeding support,” she says It is almost ten years since the PFAS contamination in Ronneby was discovered several other emissions have been found in other places in Sweden and around the world but the pollution in Ronneby is still unique “Those affected have extremely high levels of certain PFAS in their bodies There is no known equivalent internationally The PFAS contamination caused blood levels that are hundreds of times higher than in the general Swedish population,” says Nielsen She is Lund University’s representative in the Ronneby PFAS Research Program international collaboration initiative and says that there is great international interest in conducting research in Ronneby “As we know exactly which people have drunk the contaminated water there are good conditions for studying the effects of PFAS exposure here Sweden also has a detailed healthcare register which means that we can track the health of those affected.” Nielsen tells us that the research project in which she examines the risks of tattoos was born out of the research in Ronneby It has previously been shown that some tattoo inks contain chemicals that can be harmful but no research has been done into how tattoos affect the body “I think it’s remarkable that we don’t know more about these risks because so many people have tattoos,” she says a dragon on her left upper arm and a Chinese character She tells us that there are statistics that show that tattoos are especially common among women of her own generation The Chinese character she got tattooed as an 18-year-old means horse she loved to ride and spent a lot of time at the stables It’s usually said that the stable is an environment that teaches you to take initiatives and lead and that description probably fits me quite well she completed her doctorate with a thesis on mastitis the subjects of her research have changed to some degree but the desire to bring about change and improvements – for animals and people – is a common thread throughout her career Since she started the research project on health risks linked to tattoos she has received emails from people who are concerned “Some people attach photos of their tattoos and wonder if I think the skin looks strange I urge them to see a dermatologist instead.” She believes that many people who have problems with their tattoos do not know where to turn for help “There is also probably a degree of embarrassment involved But I think we need to get away from that attitude My research is not about whether people should get tattoos She says that doctors performing operations have seen that lymph nodes take on the colour of nearby tattoos This has since been confirmed by research studies the lymph node is black and if you have a green tattoo There is a lot we don’t know about how chemicals affect us and I want to try to contribute by finding some answers.” is a collective term for a large and complex group of more than 10,000 identified substances with varying properties and which are widely used in society Common to all PFAS is that they are very difficult to break down Universitetsläraren conforms strictly to journalistic principles and follows the media industry’s rules on publication and professional ethics. The magazine is free and independent of its owner, SULF – the Swedish Association of University Teachers and Researchers.If you have tips on issues that you think we should write about, you are welcome to contact us at redaktionen@universitetslararen.se Two-thirds of managers at Lund University do not want to retain the salary-setting... A report from SUHF paints a bleak picture of accelerating bureaucratisation of HE... A survey by the Union of Civil Servants (ST) shows that 40 per... What can we expect from higher education institutions in the coming ten years?... The signs are that a smaller proportion of the population may be able... A government inquiry has proposed rule changes to make it easier for doctoral candidates from third countries to remain in Sweden after completing their studies.... Almost three years after a doctoral candidate in Örebro had their thesis work reported for breach of the Ethical Review Act, they have now completed... At 6 out of 38 higher education institutions, the employer offers free feminine hygiene products to employees. At 15 institutions, students have access to it,... He is a historian who speaks a handful of languages and has a decent command of several more. He became a genocide researcher by chance.... Has it been a while since you looked your research in the eye? You are not the only one. Academia provides the perfect breeding ground... My first months as a PhD student were characterized by the same type of comment, “Your project will change a lot over time”. The comment... Problems with supervisors, stress, performance anxiety and uncertainty about residence permits. There are many reasons why PhD students at Swedish higher education institutions experience mental... Studies show that PhD students risk falling into a spiral of poor mental wellbeing. Lund University has appointed a special mentor to identify and prevent... 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Cookies for marketing are used to measure and analyse marketing campaigns. with the intention to develop a 108 hectare sheep feedlot facility accommodating 90,000 head All articles from our website & appThe digital version of This Week's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other agricultural news sites in your areaContinueThe farm totals 424ha across two lots A development application for approval for the feedlot facility was submitted to the Woodanilling Shire and outlines the intention of the family-owned WA business to supply sheep will employ 12 full-time staff and several additional contractors Between four and six road trains will leave the feedlot each day to supply the abattoir Fletchers International Exports owner Roger Fletcher wouldn't commit to an actual cost on the development of the feedlot but was committed to spending what it was worth to ensure the best facility possible Mr Fletcher commented to Farm Weekly at the Make Smoking History Wagin Woolorama recently that the focus was on his customers globally and the need to ensure consistent supply in a variety of cuts to meet the demand of those markets Fletchers International Exports owner Roger Fletcher plans to build a big sheep feedlot facility at Beaufort River.He said there were several options in WA that could have been suitable for a feedlot but every site had its positives and negatives The positives of this site outweighed its negatives Ronneby Park has a good supply of underground water for livestock which will be provided at four litres per head per day equalling a total extraction of 131 million litres per annum "We bought the family farm at Beaufort River to develop it," Mr Fletcher said "To grow out better lambs so that we can do different cuts." Mr Fletcher said the bigger the lamb the better because it was "too expensive" working with 18 kilogram lamb carcasses The proposed feedlot would have 130 pens designed to hold up to 600 head of sheep each there would also be a biosolids stockpile area for sheep manure a separate biosolids stockpile area for carcase management sedimentation and evaporation ponds for the capture and treatment of effluent runoff a sheep processing area for drop off/pick up and drafting of sheep and an area for feedlot facilities/operations which will include truck turnaround areas grain and silage bunkers and feedlot machinery and equipment The feedlot will be built into the landscape which already includes a conservation area around it to the north and "revegetation will occur in the valley (depression) south of the feedlot site" The development application also seeks approval for employee quarters and supporting facilities The development footprint for the feedlot and supporting infrastructure is about 108ha "The balance of the site will continue to be used for predominantly livestock grazing," the application said family-owned company which operates two world-class processing facilities at Dubbo The two plants have a combined processing capacity of more than 90,000 sheep and lambs per week Due to the drought conditions experienced across many of Australia's sheep producing regions last year and confidence returning among restockers as rain has fallen As a result processors have had to pay more to secure stock The purchase of Ronneby Park and development of the feedlot is expected to take some pressure off the sourcing of sheep numbers in WA and provide better quality control for the business The week's top stories curated by our news team Our twice weekly wrap of the latest in rural property sales Our twice weekly wrap of the big news in the red meat sector Industry news from Australia's dairy sector