1 September 2025
What if we could anticipate the environmental effects of any industrial or governmental decision before it was even implemented? Andrew Henderson, professor-researcher at ÉTS, is taking up this challenge. His work aims to fully model the environmental impacts of human activities.
A specialist in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Professor Henderson’s holistic approach integrates human health, ecosystems and the use of natural resources. As he sums up, “whatever the object or project—drinking bottle, battery, piece of furniture or even public policy—I always ask myself the same question: what are the environmental problems, and what can be done to mitigate them?”
From the Farm to the Jug of Milk
Let’s take milk production as an example. Producing a litre of milk involves much more than simply milking a cow. We must grow cereals to feed the herd, manufacture fertilizers, operate tractors, transport the milk, manage manure, produce, distribute and refrigerate containers… At each stage, pollutants are emitted into the air, water or soil: methane, nitrous oxide, nutrients, refrigerants. LCAs can quantify how much of each – and the impacts.
Once the emissions have been calculated, Professor Henderson and his team use and develop models to predict their effects: human mortality, ecosystem impacts due to soil or ocean acidification, etc. It is this second stage, environmental impact modelling, that lies at the heart of his expertise.
Modelling Contaminant Pathways
Andrew Henderson’s research is characterized by the modelling of contaminant transport in the environment. The main focus is on heavy metals, rare metals and nutrients such as phosphorus, nitrogen and sulphur. By analyzing how these substances move through water, air or soil, researchers can assess their effects on ecosystems and human health.
In mining operations, for example, what happens to mining residues? And what happens to the mined materials at end-of-life? Will they contaminate groundwater? Do they remain in sediments? Or will they end up in the food chain? His research team is developing models to provide specific answers to these questions.
A Global Vision
The researcher’s ambitions extend beyond Quebec and Canada. With one of his students, he is currently developing a global model of sea acidification caused by sulphur and nitrogen emissions, notably from combustion. The model, a grid divided into 50 km × 50 km blocks, will make it possible to localize the impact of pollutants, city by city, country by country.
Another project aims to model the evolution of global pH, a key parameter in the transport of metals and other contaminants. By combining existing data and integrating variables often neglected in current models, such as pH or emerging substances like PFAS (perfluoroalkylated substances), Andrew Henderson hopes to develop a more robust global modelling framework for researchers and decision-makers alike.
Real Applications, From Industry to Public Policy
Professor Henderson regularly collaborates with a variety of industry and government partners, such as the dairy industry, solar panel manufacturers, and even on creating a greener drinking bottle.
He is also involved in circular economy projects, such as a study with Recyc-Québec and the Réseau de recherche en économie circulaire (circular economy research network) to assess possible GHG reductions in Québec if the province moves towards a circular economy. With Public Services and Procurement Canada, he is studying the environmental impact of reusing furniture. With a group from the building sector, he is exploring the environmental gains of replacing materials imported from the USA with locally produced materials.
Using LCAs to Identify the Best Choices
In his view, LCAs are most effective when carried out at the start of a project, before technological choices or materials are are difficult to change. “That’s when you can really influence the outcome,” he explains.
His passion for modelling stems from a deep desire to equip decision-makers, whether from industry, the government or the general public. “People don’t always realize all that’s involved in the supply chain of a product or service. My role is to make it all visible.”
At a time when governments are committed to making their economies more sustainable, the models developed by Andrew Henderson and his team are crucial. They help identify real impacts, test solutions, inform regulation, and help businesses evolve within the planet’s limitations.
