A website designed by a Washington University in St. Louis team led by Amanda Koltz, a postdoctoral research associate in biology in Arts & Sciences, was a finalist in the Climate Change and Environmental Exposures Challenge, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences announced.
Participants were challenged to create data-visualization tools and maps that connect current science on climate change to the exposure pathways for environmental hazards, to help decision-makers and communities identify areas and people at greatest risk and help prioritize protective actions.
Up With the Waters is a series of maps that helps residents identify contaminated sites that lie in the flood plain and may release toxins in future flooding events. Different maps highlight sites near where St. Louis residents live, work and play. The tool is intended to help government and land managers prioritize cleanup of sites within the flood plain that are both heavily contaminated and often visited.