Radio-tracking systems emit pulsed waves that could affect the health and alter the orientation of animals

Abstract

Any study carried out with a given technique must avoid causing harmful effects on the experimental subjects, in order to avoid altering the survival rates of the animals or causing bias in the results of the study. Radio tagging is undoubtedly a very useful technique, and in many cases is the only option available to obtain information on the ecology and movements of wild animals, but unfortunately it has been used indiscriminately, without regard to the problems it can cause. The most well-known of these are the effects from the weight of the device and the harness, but there are others that have not yet been taken into account and that have not been sufficiently studied, such as the non-thermal effects of modulated and/or pulsed electromagnetic fields on the health and orientation of radio-tracked animals. This commentary provides a brief overview of the scientific evidence on the effects of electromagnetic fields, and underlines the importance of carrying out relevant studies in order to check for the possible effects of radio transmitters on animals.