The Georgia Department of Public Health is releasing a survey on uranium and radon contamination. The state wants residents in one Middle Georgia County to participate.

The results will help determine if people in some parts of Monroe County are getting sick. Testing over the last year showed around one in eight of 530 homes tested had uranium in their water. Thirty-two households had levels considered unsafe.

Radon is released into the air as uranium in soil decays. Jane Perry is the Director of the Department of Public Health's Chemical Hazards Program. She says Radon exposure can cause lung cancer while uranium in water can cause kidney problems.

“We just think there is a section in the geology, in the ore where there’s some uranium that runs through and it looks to be centered more in the Juliette area of Monroe County. It’s not the whole county.”

Perry says she hopes municipal water can eventually be run to affected homes. People have until March 9, 2012 to complete the survey available on the DPH website. GeorgiaDepartment of PublicHealth

Tags: Monroe County, Georgia Department of Public Health, Radon survey, environmental hazards