Black hole constraints on varying fundamental constants

We apply the generalized second law of thermodynamics and derive upper limits on the variation in the fundamental constants. The maximum variation in the electronic charge permitted for black holes accreting and emitting in the present cosmic microwave background corresponds to a variation in the fine-structure constant of Deltaalpha/alpha approximately 2 x 10(-23) per second. This value matches the variation measured by Webb et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 884 (1999); Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 091301 (2001)] using absorption lines in the spectra of distant quasars and suggests the variation mechanism may be a coupling between the electron and the cosmic photon background.