The EMFSA Environmental Health Update: July 2026 brings together research, regulation, and reporting across electromagnetic fields, climate, and public health. From electrical safety hazards facing children to Italian court rulings on the precautionary principle, this edition covers a wide range of topics relevant to environmental health in South Africa and beyond.

Published by EMFSA | 1st August 2026

Children and Electrical Safety

Our lead story examines electrical hazards facing children that extend far beyond wall sockets. From button batteries in greeting cards to lithium-ion fires in e-scooters, the risks span everyday products, wearable tech, and viral social media trends. This article synthesizes recent medical case reports, regulatory updates, and safety guidance — from water safety to e-bikes, LED illumination, and social media challenges.

Mobile Network Exposure Follows Human Activity

A new study tracking RF-EMF exposure across ten European countries found that mobile network radiation rises and falls in lockstep with human activity. Nighttime levels dropped by up to 48% compared to daytime peaks. Over 17 months of continuous monitoring, researchers documented predictable daily cycles and modest weekend dips. It’s a reminder that a quick spot measurement can miss the bigger picture. [Read a breakdown of the study.]

Heat, Climate, and Technology

This month’s newsletter explores three interconnected climate stories.

• First: heat domes in the U.S. Midwest are creating atmospheric conditions causing radio, TV, and microwave signals to travel hundreds of miles farther than usual — disrupting communications across the region. 
• Second: data centres contribute to localized “data heat islands” with significant environmental impact, warming land around them by up to 16°F. 
• Third: extreme heat events are triggering new liability trends in insurance, with engineers potentially facing professional liability claims where infrastructure design proves inadequate.

Nature, Tranquillity, and Public Health

Two studies reinforce the importance of considering not only environmental hazards but also the health benefits of restorative environments. A review in Noise & Health proposes tranquillity should be regarded as an environmental determinant of health. Another experimental study found that both restored forest and birdsong promote psychological well-being. These findings have particular relevance for South Africa, where access to safe, well-maintained green spaces remains limited in many townships and underserved communities.

The Precautionary Principle in Consumer Law

Italy’s Supreme Court (Court of Cassation) issued a new ruling on manufacturer responsibilities. Manufacturers may now have a duty to warn consumers when scientific uncertainty surrounds potential risks.

The decision shifts focus from proven harm to informed consumer choice. Companies must provide sufficient information even when risks remain unproven.

Importantly, the ruling does not establish that mobile phone RF exposure causes disease. However, it acknowledges that scientific uncertainty does not remove the need for precautionary information where potential risk cannot be excluded.

 Prefer the full newsletter format? Read the complete July 2026 edition here https://mailchi.mp/emfsa/emfsa-july-2026-newsletter

• Credit for the image used in the post above: Zetong Li on Unsplash

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EMFSA June 2026 EMF Research Report Topics

• The South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) and why it matters for South Africa.

• An article “5G Specters: Three Disclosures from the Otherworld” by Brett Mommersteeg and Nona Schulte-Römer Reference: Mommersteeg, B., & Schulte-Römer, N. (2025). 5G Specters: Three Disclosures from the Otherworld. Social Analysis, 69(4), 23–48. 
  https://doi.org/10.3167/sa.2025.690402
  

• A recent study investigating  radio-frequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure across New York City. Reference: Arno Thielens, Salvatore Davi, Sassama Hema, Ricardo Toledo-Crow, Urban radio-frequency electromagnetic field exposure in New York City, Environmental Research, Volume 306, Part 1, 2026, 125040. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2026.125040

• Data Centres

United States

Maine 

Maine would have been the first US state to introduce a moratorium on the construction of large data centres but the bill was vetoed by the governor.

New York

On 4 June 2026, the New York Legislature passed the Responsible Data Center Development Act (A11560/S10642). Will it become law? 

South Africa

What are the approval processes for data centres in South Africa?

• Fertility

Multiple modern environmental exposures—including RF-EMF and circadian-light disruption—deserve continued investigation as potential influences on reproductive health. 

Ovulation, sperm quality, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, pregnancy outcomes, and developmental programming:

In the Circadian-Light-Hygiene hypothesis, the authors propose that daily light exposure is a fundamental regulator of reproductive health.

Reference: Gubin, D.; Stefani, O.; Cornelissen, G.; Touitou, Y. The Circadian-Light-Hygiene Hypothesis: A Potential Modulator of Fertility and Birthrate Trends. Biology 2026, 15, 1023. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology15131023

EMFSA June 2026 EMF Research Report link https://mailchi.mp/emfsa/emfsa-june-2026-newsletter

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Published by EMFSA | 28 June 2026

Data centre approval processes in South Africa do not have standalone municipal policies.

1. Municipalities like Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Tshwane typically regulate data centres through

• Land-use rezoning or consent-use applications (industrial/business zoning)
• Building plan approvals
• Environmental and noise impact assessments (where triggered)

Broader planning and infrastructure systems in South Africa incorporate data centre approval processes.

2. Data Centre Approval Processes in South Africa and planning frameworks

The available regulatory structure does not include a standalone municipal policy dedicated exclusively to data centres.

Data centre approval processes in South Africa involve:

• Spatial development frameworks (SDFs)
• General zoning schemes
• Infrastructure capacity constraints (power/water)

This reflects a wider African approach where regulators apply general ICT, land-use, and infrastructure frameworks to data centres.

3. Communications infrastructure

Regulators often classify and assess data centres as part of the broader communications and digital infrastructure ecosystem.

Licensing of ICT/network services

In South Africa, regulators like ICASA control parts of the ecosystem:

• Telecommunications and network services require licences and
• Interconnection and infrastructure rules apply to carriers and operators

Telecom frameworks indirectly regulate data centres that host telecom infrastructure or provide connectivity services:

• A hyperscale data centre depends on telecom carriers for connectivity
• Licensing and regulatory obligations apply to telecommunications carriers.
• Spectrum, interconnection, and compliance rules can constrain infrastructure rollout.

Other indirect controls in South Africa

• Water and electricity regulation (critical for cooling and grid capacity)
• Environmental permitting (NEMA processes where applicable)
• National ICT policy direction (cloud/data strategy encouraging migration and infrastructure growth)

Critical infrastructure

Critical infrastructure increasingly includes data centres because they support essential services, government operations, finance, healthcare, communications, and national security.

The South African government has announced plans to designate data centres as critical infrastructure, under the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act however, implementation has not yet occurred.

Telecommunications networks are globally regarded as critical national infrastructure.

Military infrastructure

Data centres owned or operated by the armed forces would be classified as military infrastructure.

Defence bases, weapons systems, command-and-control facilities, and dedicated defence communications networks all fall within military infrastructure.

Key takeaway

• South Africa has no dedicated municipal data centre policy framework
• Approval is handled through standard zoning, infrastructure and environmental processes
• Telecom licensing, grid constraints, and infrastructure law shape data centres
• Datacentres are increasingly recognised as critical infrastructure

 References: 

South Africa: The National Policy on Data and Cloud – Some highlights https://bowmanslaw.com/insights/south-africa-the-national-policy-on-data-and-cloud-some-highlights/

Legal aspects of data centres in Africa https://www.clydeco.com/en/insights/2026/april/legal-aspects-of-data-centres-in-africa

Why the clouds of secrecy over the impacts of SA data centre growth? (Part 4/5) https://henrynxumalofoundation.co.za/why-the-clouds-of-secrecy-over-the-impacts-of-sa-data-centre-growth/

Data centre ‘critical infrastructure’ tag welcomed, but detail still thin https://techcentral.co.za/data-centre-critical-infrastructure-tag-welcomed-but-detail-still-thin/278229/

* Photo by İsmail Enes Ayhan on Unsplash

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