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Wilmington, Massachusetts

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The Olin Superfund site located in the Town of Wilmington presents multiple environmental issues. A large contaminated groundwater plum reached several of the Town’s wells in addition to impacting the adjacent wetlands. Samples of the groundwater revealed the presence of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a potential human carcinogen, and other contaminants of concern. Subsequently, the affected wells were closed. Faced with these environmental issues, the MIT SRP supports the community by responding to their needs and collaborates with the Town through our projects and learning programs with water sampling and testing and with informal educational activities.

Our WorkEducational Outreach
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19.02.19 WERC meeting

Hands-on problem-solving and learning experience

In developing a helpful resource to understand environmental exposure and how to fix the problem, the MIT SRP worked together with the Wilmington Environmental Restoration Committee (WERC), a citizens group overseeing the remediation of the Olin Superfund site. In addition to the lessons pertaining to this Superfund site, this resource also showcased contaminated situations from two other research centers and their respective community groups.

Learn more Lessons Learned Along the Road to Environmental Cleanup

  • MIT student in discussion with a member of WERC

    MIT student in discussion with a member of WERC.

  • MIT Student collecting water samples outside the Olin Superfund site

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  • MIT PhD candidate taking a water sample to be analyzed.

    MIT PhD candidate taking water sample to be analyzed.
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Water collection and analysis activities

The MIT SRP learning program offers several opportunities for MIT trainees to engage with the community and to have a more tangible understanding of environmental and public health issues. One such example is for them to visit Wilmington, MA where the Olin Superfund site is located. These situations not only enable the participants to interact with and listen to community members, but they also provide hands-on experiences in measuring and collecting more data on NDMA, which advances the work of the SRP research projects.

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2023 Wilmington STEM Event
We are active in teaching and learning venues with Wilmington, such as this 2023 STEM event using LEGO™ bricks in the standardized chemistry colors to depict atoms. To foster the next generation of dedicated and science curious people, several of these activities are to engage the youths with hands-on experiences to demystify complex concepts relating to environmental health and climate change. The lessons at this STEM event teaches grade school children about air and climate change.

Learn more at MIT Edgerton Center | K-12 Education | Active Molecular Models