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Pesticides pervade the environment, from the air we breathe to the food we eat, and they are making children sicker than they were a generation ago, a new report warns.

More than 1 billion pounds of pesticides used annually nationwide have contributed to an array of health problems in youth, including autism, cancer, birth defects, early puberty, obesity, diabetes and asthma, the Pesticide Action Network North America, an environmental group in Oakland, said in a report released Tuesday.

The authors’ conclusions were based on dozens of recent scientific studies that have tied chemicals to children’s health, and their report sought to bring collective meaning to those findings.

“One of the things that is also really clear from science is that children are just much more vulnerable to pesticide exposure,” said co-author Kristin Schafer, senior policy strategist at Pesticide Action Network North America.

“In terms of how their bodies work and defense mechanisms work, how much (pesticides) they’re taking in pound for pound, they’re eating more, drinking more, breathing more than an adult, and are much more susceptible to harms that pesticides can pose.”