Abstract: A phyto-mediated wastewater treatment bioreactor (PWBR) for treating wastewater effluent and agricultural effluent is disclosed herein. The PWBR is used to clean and remove emerging contaminants from water. These emerging compounds include, but are not limited to, pharmaceutical compounds, steroids and hormones, and industrial and household chemicals. Plants and/or the microorganisms adhering to the plant roots and their growing medium have the ability to take up many of these contaminants and the PWBR maximizes their treatment capability in a given space and time.