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Monday, January 11, 2010

Motorcycle Cancer

Of all the worse case scenarios lovingly pointed out to me by Dad when I took up motorcycle riding, cancer was not one of them. So it was shocking to read that Randall Dale Chipkar of Canada was granted a patent by the UK for his innovative ‘electromagnetic shielding motorcycle seat’.

In his book The Motorcycle Cancer Book, Chipkar tells us that electromagnetic field (ELF and EMF) radiation, undetected for so many years, is the real danger right between our legs. Motorcycles generate potentially carcinogenic EFL and EMFs directly into the rider’s groin, flooding the entire torso. Low level frequency electromagnetic fields have been linked to various types of cancer such as lymphomas, leukemia, cancers of the prostate, testicle, colon, bladder, kidney, liver, pancreas and stomach, not to mention a host of other health disorders.

Motorcycles, with their oscillating current electrical systems can generate anywhere from 10,000 to 70,000 volts of electricity during operation. Many of the motorcycles today have excessive ELF EMF levels produced beneath the rider’s seat. Chipkar is trying to get the word out to men that prostate health should be of major concern to them. But for both sexes, the colon and other neighboring organs are at risk of compromise.

In his book, Chipkar also points out that melatonin is the body’s natural hormone for fighting cancer growth, and the gastrointestinal tract is responsible for synthesizing vast amounts of melatonin. For motorcycle riders, one of the main sources of the body’s cancer growth inhibiting hormone is getting showered with electromagnetic field radiation.

Am I being alarmist is writing about this potential hazard? That is not my intention. It is to inform only and for you to draw your own conclusion. After all, we have all been warned about the used of cell phones and their potential to cause brain cancer. I haven’t noticed a decline in their use. We all have to make decisions for ourselves after all. If you want to know more about this topic, you can visit Chipkar’s web site http://motorcyclecancer.com/. If convinced there is a true health hazard let your voice be heard by signing his petition to the World Health Organization calling for consumer product safety standards.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Randall Dale Chipkar, founder of Chipkar Health Concepts, who seems to be pushing this, has patented the seats to protect from 'motorcycle cancer.'

I'm unable to find any data on the Internet to confirm his claim that motorcycles cause cancer. That surprises me, because usually medical data precedes a scare, and the medical community is quick to release data about potential dangers, particularly about cancer. Even in the case of cell phone cancer, which is still controversial, there are numerous medical studies. I can't find a single study online about this.

So, I wonder how Mr. Chipkar found out about this issue?

There are statements on his website, http://www.motorcyclecancer.com/ , such as"
"Major organizations now agree that ELF EMF magnetic fields are a possible carcinogen."

What "major organizations"?

He has, "Doctors and experts prove non-ionizing, non-thermal ELF EMF magnetic field radiation danger."

What "Doctors and experts"?

My degree is in electrical engineering, and I am very into radio science. My own readings on the subject of the dangers of electromagnetic radiation suggest that motorcycles wouldn't be dangerous at all. The fields are way too weak. He cites the high voltage of spark plugs, but the current isn't significant. And, of course, spark plug wires are shielded, making the signal weaker still.

In a web search, I found a quote by Mr. Chipkar where he said, "I discovered up to 500 milliGauss of ELF EMF radiation above motorcycle seats zapping the prostate. In contrast, many doctors raise cancer concerns involving 3 to 5 milliGauss."

This is funny, because the earth’s magnetic field is roughly 500 milliGauss! So, sitting on a rotating chair and spinning around would produce a changing ELF of roughly 500 milliGauss!

Of course, I haven't studied motorcycles and the incidence of cancer in riders. I don't claim it's impossible, although it seems unlikely to me it would be due to electromagnetic radiation. If there 'is' a connection to cancer, there must be evidence for it somewhere. Unfortunately, he fails to provide the evidence on his website, which is surprising since this is ostensibly such an important issue to him. Perhaps the evidence is provided in his book? I’m not buying his book, or his story, unless he provides real evidence to convince me because his story doesn’t make sense to me.

He also has the following amazing text on his website:
"Ulterior-motive skeptical blogs create confusion rather than concern. Some blogs present inaccurate information generating comments that thrive upon member self-amusement regardless of important issues. Conquering cancer requires our utmost attention concerning any potential source of cancer causation, cancer-growth promotion or cancer medication disruption. Complacency is synonymous with skepticism. Courage is synonymous with making a difference."

That's something I would expect a scaremongering snake oil salesman to write, not someone who could refute counterarguments with scientific data.

Bill Hallahan

p.a.henderson55@gmail.com said...

Bill, Thanks for this information. I'm sure my readers will be pleased with this news. You know I already trust your evaluation of this claim.