Environmental Health Data Management and Visualization

Background

The Environmental Health Project (EHP) plays a vital role in protecting community health by monitoring and assessing environmental impacts associated with unconventional oil and gas operations. EHP collects extensive air and water quality data alongside public health information, aiming to empower affected residents with accurate, actionable insights. To maximize their impact, EHP sought improvements in data management, integration, and visualization capabilities.

Project Details

Collaborating with EHP, the SUDS team undertook a comprehensive initiative to enhance the organization’s ability to store, manage, and visualize critical environmental and health data. This project specifically involved:

• Cleaning and standardizing diverse datasets related to environmental conditions and community health outcomes.
• Developing and implementing a robust MySQL database to ensure efficient, reliable, and secure storage and retrieval of environmental health data.
• Designing a user-friendly interface to simplify data entry, retrieval, export, and ongoing management tasks for EHP staff and stakeholders.
• Integrating real-time air quality monitoring data from Speck monitors with corresponding health impact assessments, creating a cohesive and comprehensive dataset.
• Building interactive, GIS-based visualizations to clearly depict spatial relationships between environmental risk factors and community health outcomes.

Deliverables

• MySQL Database: A fully operational and secure database optimized for rapid, accurate data handling.
• Data Management Interface: Intuitive and efficient tools for data import, export, and continuous management, greatly improving EHP’s data handling workflows.
• Integrated Data Pipelines: Seamless integration of air quality data (Speck monitors) with health assessment metrics for comprehensive analyses.
• Interactive GIS Maps: User-friendly, map-based visualizations illustrating environmental hazards, public health impacts, and key risk indicators across Southwestern Pennsylvania communities.

Outcomes

This project significantly enhanced EHP’s ability to analyze and communicate environmental health risks. The newly implemented systems streamlined data management, increased data accuracy, and facilitated easier access for stakeholders and residents. Interactive maps and visualizations offered clear, impactful insights, enabling more effective advocacy, informed decision-making, and strengthened community resilience in areas affected by unconventional oil and gas development.