The chemical landscape of tropical mammals in the Anthropocene

Sixty years ago, Rachel Carson published her book Silent Spring, which focused the world's attention on the dangers of pesticides. Since that time human impacts on the environment have accelerated and this has included reshaping the chemical landscape. Here we evaluate the severity of exposure of tropical terrestrial mammals to pesticides, pharmaceuticals, plastics, particulate matter associated with forest fires, and nanoparticles. We consider how these environmental contaminants interact with one another, with the endocrine and microbiome systems of mammals, and with other environmental changes to produce a larger negative impact than might initially be expected. Using this background and building on past conservation success, such as mending the ozone layer and decreasing acid rain, we tackle the difficult issue of how to construct meaningful policies and conservation plans that include a consideration of the chemical landscape. We document that policy solutions to improving the chemical landscape are already known and the path of how to construct a healthier planet is discernible. •The chemical landscape animals experience is being reshaped.•Exposure to pesticides, pharmaceuticals, plastics, and nanoparticles is increasing.•Contaminants interact with the endocrine and microbiome systems to impact mammals.•We tackle how to construct meaningful policies to deal with the chemical landscape.