Abstract: Highly porous, adsorbent biocatalyst beads of poly(hexamethyleneadipamide) or poly(caproamide) polymer having powdered activated carbon dispersed throughout the polymer and biocatalytic material, such as bacteria, located within macropores of the beads, are highly useful and relatively inexpensive polymeric beads, compared to similar known aramid beads, in removing organic and/or some inorganic contaminants from aqueous streams. The biocatalytic material consumes the organic and/or some inorganic contaminants which are adsorbed by the activated carbon and metabolizes the contaminant into harmless products, while continuously renewing the adsorptive capacity of the activated carbon.