The use of pesticides in agriculture has highly increased during the last 40 years to increase crop yields. However, today most pesticides are polluting water, soil, atmosphere and food.Pesticides are also impact soil enzymes, which are essential catalysts ruling the quality of soil life. In particular, the activity of soil enzymes control nutrient cycles, and, in turn, fertilization.Here, we review the effects of pesticides on the activity of soil enzymes in terrestrial ecosystems. Enzymes include dehydrogenase, fluorescein diacetate hydrolase, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, phosphatase, -glucosidase, cellulase, urease and arylsulfatase. Those enzymes are involved in the cycles of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus.The main points of our analysis are (1) the common inhibition of dehydrogenase in 61 % of studies, stimulation of cellulase in 56 % of studies and no response of aryl-sulfatase in 67 % of studies. (2) Fungicides have mainly negative effects on enzymatic activities. (3) Insecticides can be classified into two groups, the first group represented by endosulfan having an overall positive impact while the second group having a negative effect. (4) Herbicides can be classified into two groups, one group with few positive effect and another group with negative effect.

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