Broadband 75–85 MHz radiofrequency fields disrupt magnetic compass orientation in night-migratory songbirds consistent with a flavin-based radical pair magnetoreceptor

Abstract

Overview

The study examines how weak radiofrequency fields affect the magnetic compass sense in nocturnally migrating songbirds, linking this disruption to the mechanism of magnetoreception.

Findings

The orientation ability of night-migratory songbirds gets disrupted by exposure to radiofrequency fields within the 75–85 MHz spectrum. This disruption supports the hypothesis that a quantum mechanical, radical-pair-based mechanism, possibly including cryptochrome 4 found in bird retinas, governs avian magnetoreception.

• It's suggested that cryptochrome contains magnetically sensitive radicals, which depend on a bound flavin adenine dinucleotide chromophore and a chain of tryptophan.
• Quantum-chemical calculations imply the involvement of strong hyperfine interactions within the radical pairs, crucial for magnetoreception.

Conclusion

This study's outcomes hint at potential threats from electromagnetic exposure, emphasizing the health risks posed to wildlife by human-made radiofrequency fields. The researchers imply that understanding these interactions could also shed light on similar impacts in other species, including humans, underscoring the overarching implications of electromagnetic field exposure on biological systems.